Regional airport’s new international terminal is a game-changer

The airport: Newcastle Airport NTL

The flight

JQ88, Newcastle to Denpasar, Bali (NTL-DPS)

The arrival

My friend picks me up late – and we’re already cutting it fine – so my heart’s racing when we turn off for the airport. Thankfully we’re pre-booked into premium parking, a mere stroll to the terminal. There are five differently priced parking options, with premium (covered) parking costing $66 a day (weekly stays reduce it to $55 a day) and long stays about $122 for seven days. Many drivers (me included) have experienced issues with the number plate recognition system. There’s no train line to the airport, but there’s a public bus from Newcastle Interchange which takes about 40 minutes. There are also taxis, Uber and recently improved pick-up zones.

The look

The airport looks like a serious player thanks to a $250 million expansion, including the opening of a new $110 million international terminal in September 2025. There’s a new, larger arrivals hall flooded with natural light, three baggage carousels and a sculptural roof installation inspired by the dunes of nearby Stockton Bight. As part of the expansion there are now eight gates (a swing-gate functionality allows the airport to switch between domestic and international use as needed) including its first aerobridge, more than doubling its capacity. Also new are customs, immigration and quarantine facilities. Runway upgrades have also been completed to allow wide-body aircraft capability for future international flights, including the newly launched Jetstar direct service to Bali.

Check-in

There’s a queue for the Bali flight but thankfully everyone gets checked in quickly. Even though we arrive less than 90 minutes before an international flight, we have plenty of time. We checked in online, but there’s no bag drop. Check-in counters for domestic flights only open an hour prior, so don’t arrive too early. Our bags are whisked away and we head for security.

Security

The airport added CT X-rays and full-body scanners in 2019, speeding things up considerably. But given we’re flying internationally, we need to go through a secondary, international screening point using older technology – laptops and aerosols out. Many passengers complain about not being able to fill water bottles past security in the international terminal, but hopefully that’s coming. The queue through immigration and customs for returning international passengers is slow, with no smart gates to process passengers.

Food and drink

There are five food and beverage outlets with a new sushi outlet and cafe also set to open. My pick is the new Novocastrian Taphouse for a local Farmer’s Wife G&T (they also serve Earp Distilling Co gin and Modus beer, both from Newcastle). Bernoulli’s Cafe and Bar (upstairs in international departures) also sells local Newcastle beers, wines and spirits. Likewise, the new Cove Kitchen and Bar serves locally roasted Sprocket coffee (as does Crosswinds Cafe in the arrivals hall).

Retail therapy

There’s one newsagency/convenience store. It sells magazines, newspapers, books, snacks, tech gear and local Hunter Valley products including Laguna Lavender, Beelish honey, Uaine Candles and Pukara Estate vinegars and pastes.

Passing time

The airport offers free Wi-Fi, sufficient power and USB outlets and plenty of seating, though it does get crowded at peak times. The most entertaining thing is watching (and hearing) the F-35s take off and land from Williamtown Air Base.

One more thing

Newcastle Airport offers direct non-stop flights to 12 destinations plus connections to more than 65 international cities. As well as the new Bali flights (a one-stop, same-plane service to Singapore via Bali will operate from March 29), direct flights have recently launched to Perth and Hobart, also with Jetstar.

Six airlines including Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Fly Pelican, Link Airways and Eastern Air Services operate from Newcastle Airport.

Currently NSW’s second-busiest airport (co-owned by Newcastle and Port Stephens councils, with the runway owned by the Department of Defence) Newcastle Airport serves about 1.3 million passengers a year but is forecast to grow to 2.6 million by 2036, with capacity for about five million.

The verdict

The opening of the international terminal is a game-changer for the 1.4 million residents in Newcastle Airport’s catchment across the Hunter, Central Coast, Mid North Coast and Northern Sydney. Personally, the easy 20-minute drive from home – as opposed to a two-hour-plus trek up or down the M1 to or from Sydney – means I’ll fly out of here wherever I can.

Our rating out of five

★★‏★★

The writer flew courtesy of Jetstar.