Birdsville Airport (BVI)

Departures from Birdsville Airport (BVI) at a glance

• 2flights a day81st busiest of 111 airports
• 2routes from here
• 1airline
• 11:50 – 15:45first and last00061218

Collected 30 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Birdsville Airport (BVI) serves Birdsville, a town in Diamantina Shire in Queensland's Channel Country, on the eastern edge of the Simpson Desert. Diamantina Shire Council runs the airport, and its airports page says the airport sits next to the Birdsville Hotel. The council puts Birdsville 1600 km west of Brisbane.

What Birdsville Airport is

The council's airports page covers the shire's aerodromes at Bedourie, Birdsville and Betoota, and says they enable regular passenger transport, freight and mail services, as well as essential access for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. In September 2011, an upgrade funded by the council and the Queensland Government's Regional Airport Development Scheme gave Birdsville a new terminal building, resurfacing and edge lighting on runway 14/32, and an expanded apron for aircraft parking.

Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry for Birdsville (issue of 3 September 2026) names Diamantina Shire Council, 17 Herbert Street, Bedourie, as the operator, and lists the airport under its four-letter aerodrome code, YBDV. Its remarks call Birdsville a security controlled airport, and under passenger facilities it lists a passenger lounge and toilets.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Birdsville Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Birdsville Airport go to the places below, each flown by Regional Express (Rex). The council's airports page sends travellers to the Rex website for schedules and bookings.

Destination	Airport	Airline recorded
Bedourie	Bedourie Airport (BEU)	Rex
Windorah	Windorah Airport (WNR)	Rex

Queensland Government regulation of the Rex service

Birdsville is on one of the regional air routes regulated by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads, with Rex as the operator. The department says it regulates services where demand is too low for a route to be commercially viable, and it has exercised an optional extension under the current regional aviation service contracts, which will now expire on 31 December 2027. It also says its service delivery partners "control all operational matters, including check-in, boarding, in-flight services and baggage services".

Rex check-in, baggage and assistance rules

Check-in, boarding and identification

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

For passengers aged 18 and over, Rex's Travel Requirements page asks for an acceptable form of identification (ID) in the name on 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

On its regional services operated by the Saab 340 turboprop, Rex currently allows 7 kg of carry-on baggage on all fares, and 15 kg or 23 kg of checked baggage depending on the fare type, with 23 kg on Flex. Carry-on bags may be weighed and measured, and a bag over the limit at the gate is offloaded, carried as checked baggage on the next available flight, and left for the passenger to collect from the airport on arrival.

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

Stairs and special assistance

Rex's access plan for the Saab 340 refers to the aircraft stairs. Rex says some airports in Queensland cannot cater for passengers who need its Disabled Passenger Lifter, and asks anyone 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 other than Burketown check in no later than 60 minutes before.

When Rex flights are disrupted

Rex's conditions of carriage list 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 the flight schedule or cancels the flight booked, its conditions say the passenger may decide to cancel the ticket and obtain a full refund. Rex adds that, because of the limited facilities at some regional airports, refreshments or meals may not always be available there.

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.

The Birdsville Races and the airport

The council says Birdsville hosts the Birdsville Races each year on the first weekend in September, and the Shire's tourism site places the Races within the Simpson Desert Racing Carnival. The council calls the Betoota Races "the opening act" of that carnival. The Airservices entry describes the Birdsville Race period as "held late August to early September each year", and says it "attracts different procedures" at the aerodrome.

During the Birdsville Races, the council's airports page restricts the sealed apron to larger jet and turboprop aircraft, by application, and puts general aviation aircraft and helicopters on compacted earth parking. It also says camping is not permitted airside, and adds: "Please book accommodation before flying in."

Roads, floods and the Diamantina River

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) says the Diamantina River passes through the town of Birdsville before crossing the Queensland-South Australia border 10 kilometres south of the town. Its flood brochure names the major flooding of January 1974 at Birdsville and later floods in 1991, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2009 and 2025, and its table of previous flooding events also lists January/March 2026. It says their main impact is the isolation of towns and properties and the inundation of grazing land, which can last several months in some areas, with road transport disrupted for considerable periods.

The council's road report gives updates on flooding and road closures in the shire, and the council asks drivers to "drive to conditions and follow traffic signage". The Shire's travel information tells drivers to carry a satellite phone. Rex's flight status and disruptions page shows its forecast of disruptions and cancellations for today and tomorrow.

Birdsville town

The Shire's tourism site says Birdsville is known by the "First Nations People" as Wirrarri, and that the town has been home to the Yarluyandi people for thousands of years and is now part of the Wangkangurru Yarluyandi Native Title area. The town developed as a rest stop and watering hole for cattle drovers, the site says, surrounded by the gibber plains of Sturt's Stony Desert and the wetlands of the Channel Country. The council describes the Birdsville Track as a stock route historically used to move cattle from Queensland to the southern markets.

The shire's other towns are Bedourie, its administration centre, and Betoota, which the council puts 170 kilometres east of Birdsville. The council names the cattle industry, tourism and the natural environment as the shire's economy, with natural irrigation from the Diamantina and Georgina River systems supporting an organic cattle industry.

On timing, the Shire's travel information says "The Diamantina shines from April to September" and "Summer is scorching".

Big Red and other sights

The Shire's tourism site lists Big Red, which it calls the tallest dune in the Simpson Desert. Big Red is on private property, and no camping is permitted there except for paying guests at the Big Red Bash music festival. The site also lists birds at the local waterhole, Burke and Wills scar trees on the banks of the Diamantina River and the Birdsville Billabong, says local tour groups run sunset tours, and names the Town Common as a camping area.

Munga-Thirri Simpson Desert National Park

The council calls Birdsville "the gateway to Munga-Thirri Simpson Desert National Park". Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, on a camping page last reviewed on 30 June 2026, says the park is closed from 1 December to 15 March "due to extreme summer temperatures that can exceed 50C". The Shire's tourism site gives the closure as running from 6pm on 30 November until 6pm on 15 March, for public safety.

The Queensland Parks visiting safely page adds that wet weather may cause temporary closures at other times, and points visitors to its park alerts for park conditions, access and closures. The Queensland Parks camping page says camping permits are required, that camping is only permitted within 100 metres of the QAA Line, and that toilets and showers are not provided.

The Shire's tourism site says a Desert Parks Pass is required to enter the park, that South Australia Parks Passes are sold at the Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre and online at parks.sa.gov.au, and that Queensland National Parks camping permits are available at parks.qld.gov.au. Queensland Parks says visitors who intend to continue beyond Queensland into the South Australian part of the Simpson Desert will need a Desert Parks Pass.

Town services

The Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre, at 29 Burt Street, sells the Desert Parks Pass and has maps, brochures, road conditions and local tips, along with a library, gallery space, a cinema and wifi for travellers. The council says it is a short walk from the Birdsville Hotel, the bakery, the roadhouse, the general store and the caravan park.

The Shire's tourism site lists a hotel, tourist park, lodge, bakery, general store, medical clinic and car repair in Birdsville, with the post office at Birdsville Fuel Service and fuel at the Birdsville Roadhouse and Birdsville Fuel Services. The Birdsville Hotel serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, with bookings highly recommended, and the bakery opens from autumn to spring. The Shire's tourism site says there is no pharmacy in Birdsville and asks visitors to bring an adequate supply of medication, and that the medical clinic is there for emergencies.

There is an ATM at the Birdsville Hotel. Optus and Telstra provide mobile coverage for phones on a full network plan, and the site lists wifi at the Wirrarri Visitor Information Centre, at the Birdsville Roadhouse and for guests at the Birdsville Tourist Park. Tap water comes from the Artesian Bore and is safe to drink, the site says, and public toilets are in Anzac Park and at the visitor centre.

Questions about Birdsville Airport

Who runs Birdsville Airport?

Diamantina Shire Council, 17 Herbert Street, Bedourie, Queensland 4829, according to the Airservices Australia aerodrome entry.

Where is Birdsville Airport?

Birdsville Airport serves Birdsville in Queensland's Diamantina Shire, and the council's airports page says it is next to the Birdsville Hotel.

Can you camp airside at Birdsville Airport during the Birdsville Races?

No. In its notes for the Birdsville Races, the council's airports page says camping is not permitted airside, and asks visitors to book accommodation before flying in.

Is there aviation fuel at Birdsville Airport?

The council says Avgas and Jet A1 are available on request through Birdsville Aviation Fuel, and the Airservices Australia entry lists the same supplier for both fuels.

Does Birdsville 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.