This in-demand region’s airport got an upgrade. It may need another soon

The airport

Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport (BNK)

The flight

Virgin Australia VA 1142 from Ballina to Sydney

The Byron Shire needs a hub that can handle growing demand.Credit: Danielle Smith

The arrival

Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport is located by a swamp at the back of Ballina’s industrial estate, 10 minutes’ drive from Ballina town centre and a half hour’s drive from Lismore and Byron Bay. Along with taxis and Uber, there are six car hire companies and a handful of shuttle bus companies at arrivals. Blanch’s bus service runs a limited bus service – the 640 bus – from the airport to Ballina, Lennox Head, Byron Bay and Mullumbimby. The terminal gets big ticks for accessibility, being all on one level from footpath to terminal.

The look

Art on arrival.Credit: Kate Holmes/Ballina Shire

BNK is both blessed and cursed with a high influx of visitor numbers thanks to its immediate proximity to Australia’s most overexposed coastal town, Byron Bay. Four years after a much-needed $6 million renovation, the airport is weathering its age well in a largely well-maintained, if boxy space. In late 2023 a series of works by local Indigenous artists including Tania Marlowe was added, giving the terminal more personality and energy, while in May 2024, the airport completed a $20 million runway upgrade ahead of an anticipated increase in demand.

Check-in

Ballina – the Byron Bay gateway.Credit: Kate Holmes/Ballina Shire

I opt for online check-in and have no luggage, but an early drop-off means I settle into the comfortable couches near check-in, where there are plugs for charging devices.

Security

Being one of the first passengers through, I’m selected for both a full-body scan and to have my handbag tested for drugs, and end up with a pat down that reveals … a scrunched up sock on my right foot. As tedious as it is, the staff are reasonable and polite, and it feels more like they’re ticking boxes than applying any serious level of officiousness.

Food + drink

The airport cafe.

Apart from a lowly vending machine located near check-in, the main outlets are the Beach Grill Cafe & Kitchen and The Saltbar, which has beers on tap from local Byron brewery Stone & Wood, alongside a fully stocked fridge with local brews and ready-mixed spirits by local gin distiller Brookie’s. The cafe stocks grab-and-go sandwiches and cakes, alongside an all-day breakfast menu, burgers and hot chips, but my flight is at the awkward time of 4.25pm, so there’s no need for a full meal. While waiting, the bar does a brisk trade as holidaymakers sneak in one (or two) last beverages before boarding.

Retail therapy

One small Relay retail store offers the standard rotation of self-help and business books, magazines, snacks and knickknacks. On the walls, advertisements for overpriced land packages sell the Byron lifestyle dream, although probably miss their target market (the passengers who are climbing straight into their private jet outside).

Passing time

I discover way too late from another passenger that there is a brewery and food truck outside, less than a hundred metres from check-in. Once through security, there are scant options to amuse yourself, but there is a solid rotation of non-offensive Australian classic rock music playing in the background; free Wi-Fi, and a nice mix of spaces to wait, including armchairs and a workstation with benches (although the communal tables – very Byron – seem to be largely avoided by passengers). Afternoon is peak time for the airport, and it’s a squeeze for space by the time my flight is boarding. However, the departure area is big enough to hold the volume of passengers waiting to board – just.

The verdict

Efficient and functional, Ballina Byron Gateway is a great regional airport. However, given the insatiable demand for all things Byron, it’s possible the terminal might need to grow.

Our rating out of five

★★★★

The writer traveller at her own expense.