Illawarra Regional Airport – WOL Airport
Illawarra Regional Airport is located in Shellharbour City, New South Wales, Australia. It is now known as Shellharbour Airport but is also known by other names including Wollongong Airport or Albion Park Aerodrome. Also located in the airport is the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society or HARS. One airline, Fly Corporate, services the airport and offers routes to Melbourne and Brisbane.
Best Time to Visit
The history of WOL airport goes way back to the 1920s. Then known simply as Albion Park, it was used for pleasure flights as well as demonstrations. It wasn’t until 1990 when the first master plan was drafted for the present airport. In 2019, Illlawara Regional Airport was renamed to Shellharbour Airport. The airport is owned by the Shellharbour City Council and operated by the same. It has one primary runway with a paved surface measuring 5,968 feet in length. Pavement limitations, environmental issues, as well as noise also limit the potential of WOL airport. Even with these limitations many locals still choose the airport for their air travels including residents from nearby cities like Saint Ives, Terrey Hills, and Putney.
What to Do & Area Attractions
There are many hotels situated near the airport to make traveling to Shellharbour City as convenient as possible. The Oak Hotel Motel offers basic rooms that come with kitchenettes and is only 2 minutes away from the airport. Elsinor Motor Lodge offers rooms that are as cozy and inviting as homes. It is 10 minutes away from the airport and has beautiful scenery surrounding it for a more relaxed stay. There are other airports located nearby for travelers looking for other entry points to New South Wales. These include the Bankstown Airport (BWU) and Sydney Airport (SYD), which are both approximately an hour away.
