Mount Hotham Airport (IATA: MHU, ICAO: YHOT) is a small Australian regional airport, which serves the Victorian ski resort of Mount Hotham. It is Australia's highest-altitude airport.
Mount Hotham Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Private | ||||||||||
| Owner | Grollo family | ||||||||||
| Operator | MHSC Transportation Services Pty Ltd | ||||||||||
| Serves | Mount Hotham | ||||||||||
| Location | Dinner Plain, Victoria, Australia | ||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 4,260 ft / 1,298 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 37°02′51″S 147°20′03″E / 37.04750°S 147.33417°E | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
  YHOT Location in Victoria | |||||||||||
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| Runways | |||||||||||
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History
editDeveloped by BCR Asset Management, construction of Month Hotham Airport began in late 1998. The airport opened on 12 June 1999 with a 700 metre runway.[2] It was officially opened by Premier Steve Bracks on 10 June 2000 by which time the runway had been extended to 1,460 metres.[3][4]
During the 2000 ski season, Eastern Australia Airlines and Southern Australia Airlines operated flights from Sydney and Melbourne respectively with Dash 8s[5] During the 2001 season Eastern Australia, Southern Australia Airlines and Sunstate Airlines operated flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Newcastle.[6]
Until 2014, QantasLink operated flights from Sydney with Bombardier Q200s.[7][8][9] As at 2024, it is only used by charter operators.[10]
In January 2023, the airport was purchased by the Grollo family.[11]
Incidents
editOn 8 July 2005, a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain charter plane crashed into terrain while attempting to make a landing at the airport, killing the pilot and two passengers. Fragments of the aircraft were said to have dropped on the ground at the nearby sub-alpine community of Cobungra.[12]
References
edit- ^ YHOT – Mount Hotham (PDF). AIP En Route Supplement from Airservices Australia, effective 13 June 2024, Aeronautical Chart Archived 11 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Mount Hotham Australian Aviation issue 152 July 1999 page 22
- ^ Airport heats up Mt Hotham Australian Financial Review 9 June 2000
- ^ Mt Hotham Airport set to shine this winter Australian Aviation issue 174 July 2001 page 58
- ^ Qantas to the snow Australian Aviation issue 159 March 2000 page 16
- ^ Mount Hotham Australian Aviation issue 172 May 2001 page 20
- ^ Airline Briefs Australian Aviation issue 270 April 2010 page 17
- ^ QantasLink kicks off Mount Hotham snow season Qantas 28 June 2013
- ^ Qantas in fight for life after 5000 jobs axed nationwide News.com.au 27 February 2014
- ^ Hotham Airport Mount Hotham
- ^ $6m+ buyers of Mt Hotham Airport revealed Herald Sun 30 January 2023
- ^ Collision with terrain, Piper PA-31-350 VH-OAO at Mt Hotham Australian Transport Safety Board 24 August 2006
External links
edit
Media related to Mount Hotham Airport at Wikimedia Commons