Bedourie Airport (BEU)

Departures from Bedourie Airport (BEU) at a glance

• 2flights a day86th busiest of 111 airports
• 2routes from here
• 1airline
• 11:00 – 16:40first and last00061218

Collected 12 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Bedourie Airport (BEU) serves Bedourie, a small town in Queensland's Channel Country and in Diamantina Shire. Diamantina Shire Council runs it, and the council's airports page calls it "a vital link for the community, supporting Regional Express (REX) flights and emergency services". The council's tourism site puts Bedourie about 1,600 km west of Brisbane, with Birdsville 191 km to the south.

What Bedourie Airport is

The airport officially reopened on 16 September 2008 after an upgrade, the council says. Its airports page covers the shire's aerodromes at Bedourie, Birdsville and Betoota, and says they provide regular passenger transport, freight and mail services, as well as essential access for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry (issue of 3 September 2026) names Diamantina Shire Council as the operator and lists Bedourie as a security controlled airport. Its sealed runway, 14/32, is 1,810 metres long and 30 metres wide, with runway edge lighting. The same entry cautions that severe turbulence is possible on the approach and that a bird hazard may exist.

Under facilities for Bedourie, the council's airports page says: "No fuel facilities available."

Direct domestic flights recorded from Bedourie Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Bedourie Airport go to the places below, each flown by Rex. The council and its tourism site both send travellers to Rex for the timetable.

Destination	Airport	Airline recorded
Boulia	Boulia Airport (BQL)	Rex
Birdsville	Birdsville Airport (BVI)	Rex

Queensland Government regulation of the Rex service

Bedourie is on one of the regional air routes that the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads regulates, and Rex operates it. The department says it regulates routes where demand is too low to be commercially viable for operators. It has exercised an extension to the current contracts, which now expire on 31 December 2027.

The department also says its service delivery partners "control all operational matters, including check-in, boarding, in-flight services and baggage services".

Flying Rex from Bedourie

Check-in, boarding and identification

Rex's check-in page says the airport check-in desk closes 30 minutes before scheduled departure at regional Queensland airports such as Bedourie, and Rex recommends presenting checked bags 60 minutes before. The boarding gate closes 15 minutes before departure at regional airports, and Rex says a passenger not ready at the gate by then is excluded from boarding and forfeits the fare. Web check-in opens 48 hours and closes 60 minutes before scheduled departure, but passengers with special requirements must check in at the airport.

Rex's Travel Requirements page asks passengers aged 18 and over for an acceptable form of identification, with the name matching the booking, and a passenger without photographic ID can show two forms of non-photographic ID instead. Electronic copies on a device are accepted. Passengers aged 17 or under need no ID when travelling with, or presented at check-in by, an identifiable guardian.

Baggage and the cabin

Rex states its regional allowances for services operated by the Saab 340 turboprop: 7 kg of carry-on baggage on all fares, and 15 kg checked on Community, Promo and Saver fares or 23 kg on Flex. Carry-on bags may be weighed and measured, and a bag over the limit at the gate is offloaded, sent on the next available flight, and left for you to collect at the airport. Check Rex's baggage page before you pack.

The Saab 340 has a single aisle, with one seat on the left of each row and two on the right, and Rex says its cargo compartment "has only a very limited capacity". Rex also reserves the right to offload checked bags within the allowance when the aircraft is restricted in the baggage it can carry.

Stairs, the lifter and special assistance

Passengers board Rex's Saab 340 by the aircraft stairs. Rex's Special Requirements page says its Disabled Passenger Lifter is "currently not installed at Bedourie, Boulia and Burketown", and asks passengers who cannot climb the aircraft stairs to call its Customer Contact Centre on 13 17 13 before booking. Rex asks for special requirements at least 48 hours before departure, and wheelchair and mobility device passengers at Queensland regional airports such as Bedourie check in no later than 60 minutes before departure.

When Rex flights are disrupted

Rex's conditions of carriage name inclement weather among the events beyond its control, and say times of arrival and departure are not guaranteed. When Rex cancels, it may offer a seat on another flight that day or another day, other transport such as a bus, or a flight to the nearest alternative Rex port; if Rex changes or cancels the booked flight, the passenger may instead cancel the ticket for a full refund. Rex also warns that, with the limited facilities at some regional airports, refreshments may not always be available during a delay.

Commonwealth aviation security rules

Commonwealth screening rule for air services

The Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre (CISC) says an air service that operates open charter or a regular public transport operation must be aviation security screened if it:

• uses aircraft with a seating capacity of 40 or more persons
• operates from an Australian designated, tier 1 or tier 2 security controlled airport
• uses any aircraft departing from the same apron as a screened air service operating at a designated airport

Home Affairs liquids, aerosols and gels restrictions

The Department of Home Affairs applies its liquids, aerosols and gels restrictions in these situations:

• when departing Australia
• when transiting through Australia from one country to another
• when travelling on the domestic leg of a flight departing from an Australian international terminal
• prior to boarding an inbound flight at its last point of departure before it reaches Australia

Where they apply, each container must be 100 mL or 100 g or less, and all containers must fit in one transparent, re-sealable plastic bag.

Getting into Bedourie and around the shire

The council's tourism site says "there are no hire car companies in the Diamantina region", and names Mount Isa, Charleville and Longreach as places where hire cars are available. It also tells anyone travelling the region in a hired car or rented camper to check whether the insurance covers the roads in this area, because some hire car insurance may be void on roads like the Birdsville Track.

By road, the Diamantina Developmental Road runs from Windorah in the east to Bedourie, and Bedourie and Birdsville can be reached from the north via the Eyre Developmental Road. Many roads are unsealed and can be hard going for low-clearance two-wheel-drive vehicles, particularly when wet or corrugated, the council says.

For road conditions, the council publishes a road report and takes reports of damage or flooding on 07 4746 1600 during office hours. The Bedourie Outback Visitor Information Centre, at 13 Herbert Street (07 4746 1630), also helps visitors check current road conditions and has maps and brochures.

Flooding, isolation and the airport

A Queensland Reconstruction Authority case study dated 1 May 2026 says Bedourie sits on the banks of the usually dry Eyre Creek and has endured five major floods over the past six years. When the nearby Georgina River floods, it says, the town "can become isolated for weeks or even months at a time". The town is protected by an earthen levee the council built in 1996 and inspects and maintains ahead of anticipated floods.

The same case study says that "if evacuations are needed, Bedourie residents know to gather at the local airport where they can be airlifted to safety". The Bureau of Meteorology's flood brochure for the Georgina River and Eyre Creek, which names Bedourie, says "very little rainfall is needed to bring the country to a standstill" and that road transport disruption for long periods is common during floods.

In wet weather, check the council's road report and Rex's flight status and disruptions page before relying on a road or a flight.

Bedourie town

The council's tourism site says Bedourie was originally home to the Wangkamahdla people, and that its name comes from the Wangkamahdla word Bidouri, meaning dust storm. The town sits on a sand dune surrounded by the winding Eyre Creek, and became a watering and rest stop in the 1880s for drovers moving cattle to Birdsville.

Most travellers visit between April and September, the council says, "when temperatures are mild, roads are accessible, and events fill the calendar".

Bedourie Artesian Spa and Aquatic Centre

The spa and aquatic centre on Nappa Street has a 22-person therapeutic spa, filled with water from the Artesian Bore drilled in 1905 and kept at 38 to 40 degrees Celsius, beside a 25-metre swimming pool. The council lists it as open daily, from 6 am to 7:30 pm in summer and from 7 am to 7 pm in winter. Outback Queensland says to get your key at the Information Centre.

The Bedourie Camp Oven

The council's tourism site calls Bedourie the birthplace of the Bedourie Camp Oven, invented in the 1920s by a local tinsmith for drovers and cameleers whose cast-iron cookware cracked. In 2001 the Australian Government recognised the oven as "Uniquely Australian". It is available year-round at the Bedourie Outback Visitor Centre, the council says.

Historic buildings and places to stay

The council describes the Pise House, built of rammed earth, as one of Bedourie's most historic buildings. The Royal Hotel Bedourie, established in 1886 and once owned by the pastoralist Sir Sidney Kidman, is built of adobe bricks and has seven fully serviced motel rooms.

The council's list of places to stay in Bedourie is the Bedourie Tourist Park (powered and unpowered sites), the Simpson Desert Oasis Roadhouse (motel-style units and camping) and the Royal Hotel.

Town services

The council's visitor notes say Bedourie has Telstra mobile coverage for phones on a full network plan. There is an ATM at the Simpson Desert Oasis Roadhouse and cash out at the Royal Hotel, and the roadhouse sells fuel, though Auto Gas is not available.

The same notes say there is no pharmacy in Bedourie, but there is a medical clinic for emergencies, and that the nearest mechanics are in Birdsville and Boulia. Public toilets are next to the Bedourie Community Centre.

Bedourie Camel Races

The council's tourism site listed the Bedourie Camel Races for Saturday 11 July 2026 at Racecourse Road, with camel and pig racing, novelty events and market stalls. Check the council's What's On listing for current events.

Diamantina National Park and the Simpson Desert

Queensland Parks puts Diamantina National Park 275 km east of Bedourie and describes it as Maiawali Country. It recommends a high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle, as the roads are gravel for 200 to 300 km, and warns that even small amounts of rain can make outback roads impassable, so carry at least two weeks' extra supplies. It says camping needs a permit booked before arrival, and that mobile phone coverage is very limited.

Queensland Parks also says the park is open all year, but wet weather or management activities may cause temporary closures, and it points visitors to its park alerts for access and closures.

The council's guide gives Birdsville as the starting point for the Simpson Desert. It says Desert Parks Passes are sold at the Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre in Birdsville, and that the Simpson Desert parks in South Australia and Queensland are closed over summer, from 1 December to 15 March. The guide adds that vehicles entering need high-visibility safety flags on the front.

Queensland Parks says camping in Munga-Thirri National Park needs a camping permit, and that a Desert Parks Pass is needed to continue into the South Australian part of the Simpson Desert.

Questions about Bedourie Airport

Who runs Bedourie Airport?

Diamantina Shire Council, 17 Herbert Street, Bedourie, Queensland 4829, phone 07 4746 1600.

Is there fuel at Bedourie Airport?

The council's airports page says "No fuel facilities available" at Bedourie.

Can you hire a car in Bedourie?

The council's tourism site says there are no hire car companies in the Diamantina region. It names Mount Isa, Charleville and Longreach as places where hire cars are available.

Does Bedourie observe daylight saving?

No. Queensland does not observe daylight saving, and neither do Western Australia or the Northern Territory. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory do.