Grants to improve critical air infrastructure

The Regional Airports Program – Round 5 provides grants to improve the safety, accessibility and climate resilience of airports and aerodromes in regional Australia.

Funding supports critical air infrastructure, including works that improve aircraft safety, essential-service access, regional connectivity, emergency service operations and the transition to net zero aviation technology.

Applicants must have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and be an owner and/or operator of an existing aerodrome or airport.

They must be an entity incorporated in Australia; an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth); an incorporated trustee applying on behalf of a trust; an Australian local government agency or body as defined in section 14 of the grant opportunity guidelines; an Australian state or territory government agency or body; or a corporate Commonwealth entity.

State agencies or other eligible entities may apply on behalf of aerodrome/airport owners or operators as the lead applicant in a joint application.

The aerodrome or airport must be classified as Inner Regional or Outer Regional under the 2021 Australian Statistical Geographic Standard Remoteness Area classification, and its passenger throughput from all flight types must have been below 300,000 passengers in 2024.

Applicants must provide evidence from their board or council, or CEO/equivalent where there is no board, that the organisation supports the project and accepts responsibility for completing it and meeting costs not covered by grant funding.

Applicants that are not the airport or aerodrome owner must confirm owner support.

Projects must improve safety and accessibility and/or transition to net zero at regional Australian aerodromes or airports, have at least $20,000 in eligible expenditure, and be completed by 30 December 2028.