Coober Pedy Airport (CPD)

Departures from Coober Pedy Airport (CPD) at a glance

• 1flight a day107th busiest of 111 airports
• 1route from here
• 1airline
• 13:30the only departure00061218

Collected 29 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Coober Pedy Airport (CPD) serves Coober Pedy, which the District Council of Coober Pedy places in the far north of South Australia on the Stuart Highway. The council owns and operates the airport, and its airport page names Regional Express (Rex) as the passenger carrier. This site's schedule data records Rex flying direct from Coober Pedy to Adelaide.

Who runs Coober Pedy Airport

The council's airport page says the council owns the aerodrome and is responsible for its maintenance and care. Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry for Coober Pedy, in the issue of 3 September 2026, names the District Council of Coober Pedy as the aerodrome operator and gives the council's phone number, 08 8672 4600. The council's office is at Lot 773 Hutchison Street, Coober Pedy.

The council's airport page lists Avien Ground Handling as the airport's ground handling service, and the aerodrome entry names the same company for ground handling and passenger services.

What the aerodrome entry lists at Coober Pedy Airport

Under passenger facilities, the aerodrome entry lists toilets, a hire car and a passenger lounge, with the lounge marked "Limited times". The entry also lists a sealed runway, 04/22, and a gravel runway, 14/32.

Getting from Coober Pedy Airport into town

Hire car

Budget Car Rental's own location page lists a Coober Pedy Airport branch at the terminal building, and says that if you are flying in, the rental counter is within the terminal, with a short walk to the car lot. The council names Budget Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-a-Car as the vehicle rental companies in Coober Pedy. It also says that if you wish to visit all the attractions in Coober Pedy, it is best to rent a vehicle.

Taxis, shuttle and a lift from your accommodation

The council's airport page lists an airport shuttle service for scheduled and private transfers. The council's visitor page says there are no taxi services in Coober Pedy. It suggests that visitors who do not wish to rent a vehicle ask their accommodation provider to collect them from the airport.

By road

The council's getting-here page describes the drive from Adelaide through Port Wakefield, then the Augusta Highway to Port Augusta and the Stuart Highway. From Alice Springs, 680 km away by the council's figure, the drive is south on the Stuart Highway. Greyhound Australia's own site lists coach services between Adelaide and Coober Pedy.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Coober Pedy Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Coober Pedy Airport go to the destination below, with the airline recorded on it. The airline recorded is Rex.

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Adelaide	Adelaide Airport (ADL)	Rex

The council's getting-here page says Rex operates flights between Coober Pedy and Adelaide, both in South Australia.

South Australia observes daylight saving. The NSW Government lists New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory as observing it, and Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory as not.

Flying Rex from Coober Pedy

Check-in, boarding and identification

Rex's check-in desk closes 30 minutes before the scheduled departure at regional airports in South Australia, and its boarding gate closes 15 minutes before. Rex recommends presenting checked bags at the airport 60 minutes before departure, and its web check-in opens 48 hours ahead and closes 60 minutes before. Passengers with special requirements must check in at the airport.

Rex says a passenger who is not ready at the boarding gate by the time it closes is excluded from boarding, with any checked baggage offloaded and the fare forfeited.

Rex's travel requirements page says passengers aged 18 and over must show an acceptable form of identification, either photo identification or two forms of non-photo identification, with the name matching the booking. Passengers aged 17 or under need none if they travel with, or are presented at check-in by, an identifiable guardian. Rex's Conditions of Carriage, separately, refer to satisfactory photo identification at check-in.

Baggage and cabin space

Rex's baggage page lists its regional services as operated by the Saab 340 turboprop. On those services Rex currently allows 7 kg of carry-on baggage on all fares, and 15 kg of checked baggage on Promo and Saver fares or 23 kg on Flex fares. On regional flights, Rex says items such as overnight bags and briefcases must not exceed 23 cm deep, 34 cm high and 48 cm long.

Rex says carry-on bags may be weighed and measured, and a bag over the limit at the boarding gate is offloaded and travels as checked baggage on the next available flight, for the passenger to collect on arrival. Rex also says the Saab 340's cargo compartment has only a very limited capacity, and that it may 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 asks for special requirements at least 48 hours before the planned departure, at booking on its website or through its Customer Contact Centre on 13 17 13.

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. 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's disruption page says that, because of the limited facilities at some of the regional airports it flies to, refreshments or meals may not always be available there.

Security screening and liquids rules

When an air service must be screened

This is the Commonwealth's general screening rule for air services. The Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre 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

Liquids, aerosols and gels

These are the Commonwealth's general rules for liquids, aerosols and gels. The Department of Home Affairs says each container must be 100 mL or 100 g or less, and all containers must fit in one transparent, resealable plastic bag. It lists these situations for the restrictions:

• 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

Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park

The Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is 25 km north of Coober Pedy, with access by the Stuart Highway or Kempe Road. The council describes coloured hills, flat-topped mesas and gibber-covered plains, locally called the "moon plain", and says the park is at its best at sunrise or sunset. South Australia's parks website lists wildlife including red kangaroos, the euro, the echidna, the fat-tailed dunnart and numerous bird species.

The council's park page calls the park the traditional land of the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people, and South Australia's parks website says it is owned by the Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal Corporation (AMYAC). The park is co-managed under an agreement between AMYAC, the District Council of Coober Pedy and the Department for Environment and Water. The council says the entire park is an Aboriginal Heritage site, protected under both the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 and the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988.

The road and the entry permit

The council says the road into the park is an unformed dirt road, subject to considerable variation and affected by the weather, rain in particular, and that at times the entire park or sections of it will be closed or that access will be recommended for "4WD" vehicles only. It posts road updates on a Facebook page. South Australia's parks website says the park is closed on days of Catastrophic Fire Danger and may also be closed on days of Extreme Fire Danger.

A vehicle entry permit is bought through the District Council of Coober Pedy, which offers online booking on its Kanku-Breakaways page. That page also lists the licensed commercial tour operators for the park, and South Australia's parks website asks visitors to check the latest Desert Parks Bulletin before visiting.

Opal and the history of Coober Pedy

The council's history page calls Coober Pedy the "Opal Capital of the World". It says opal was first discovered in February 1915 by members of the New Colorado Prospecting Syndicate, after 14 weeks of prospecting for gold without success. The South Australian Tourism Commission describes underground houses, hotels and even shops in the town.

In 1920 the Progress Committee voted for the name Coober Pedy, which the council describes as an Aboriginal term meaning "white man in a hole". A formal approach to the Minister of Local Government in 1980 was followed by the Coober Pedy Act of 1981, and the first council election was held in January 1987.

The Coober Pedy Historical Society

The volunteer Coober Pedy Historical Society keeps the town's archives, a collection of over 4,000 documents and photos that the National Library of Australia has recognised as being of national significance. The society has a room in the Umoona Mine and Museum and a display at the Visitor Information Centre. The council now maintains the society's Heritage Trail signage, and the trail brochures are at the Visitor Information Centre.

Takeaway alcohol restrictions in Coober Pedy

In an update dated 30 April 2026, Consumer and Business Services lists Coober Pedy among the regions where liquor restrictions limit the amount of takeaway alcohol that can be bought.

Questions about Coober Pedy Airport

Which airline flies from Coober Pedy Airport?

This site's schedule data records Rex, flying direct from Coober Pedy to Adelaide.

Who runs Coober Pedy Airport?

The District Council of Coober Pedy owns and runs it, and Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry of 3 September 2026 names the council as the aerodrome operator.

How do I get from Coober Pedy Airport into town?

Budget says its rental counter is within the terminal, and the council names Budget Car Rental and Enterprise Rent-a-Car as the town's vehicle rental companies. The council's airport page lists an airport shuttle service for scheduled and private transfers, and the council suggests that visitors who do not wish to rent a vehicle ask their accommodation provider to collect them from the airport.

How early should I get to Coober Pedy Airport for a Rex flight?

Rex recommends presenting checked bags 60 minutes before departure. It closes its check-in desk 30 minutes before departure at regional airports in South Australia, and its boarding gate 15 minutes before.

How far is the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park from Coober Pedy?

The council and South Australia's parks website both put it about 25 km north of Coober Pedy. The council says the road in is unformed dirt and affected by rain, and a vehicle entry permit is bought through the council.

Does Coober Pedy observe daylight saving?

Yes. Coober Pedy is in South Australia, and South Australia observes daylight saving.