Esperance Airport (EPR)

Departures from Esperance Airport (EPR) at a glance

• 4flights a day61st busiest of 111 airports
• 1route from here
• 1airline
• 09:30 – 19:15first and last00061218

Collected 11 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Esperance Airport (EPR) is 23 kilometres north of Esperance on the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway, in the south-east of Western Australia. The Shire of Esperance owns and operates it, and this site's schedule records show direct flights from Esperance Airport to Perth with Regional Express (Rex).

The Shire says the terminal is closed outside scheduled flight times, and coffee and snacks come from vending machines. For the drive into town, the Esperance Visitor Centre's website advises booking a taxi before you arrive. Parking in front of the terminal is for drop-off and pick-up only, with a two-hour limit, and the Shire says vehicles in breach may be fined or towed.

Who runs Esperance Airport

The Shire of Esperance owns and operates Esperance Airport, and Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry, issued 3 September 2026, names the Shire as the aerodrome operator. The Shire says it maintains the terminal, the runways, taxiways and apron, and the wider grounds.

The Shire's runway project page says the airport supports the regular passenger service between Perth and Esperance, charter flights and emergency response operations, including aerial firefighting.

The terminal at Esperance Airport

The Shire's airport page says the terminal opens around scheduled flights and is closed outside scheduled flight times, and that its opening hours vary when the flight schedule changes. Public bathrooms are accessible 24 hours a day.

The passenger lounge has coffee, snacks and drinks from vending machines, and the Shire says public wifi needs no password. The Airservices entry lists a passenger lounge, refreshments and toilets among the passenger facilities at the aerodrome.

In May 2025 the Shire said community feedback had consistently favoured a cafe at the airport, and that the Council and the Shire would seriously consider proposals from private hospitality operators. A meeting room in the terminal can be hired for half or full days through the airport's email address, [email protected].

Parking at Esperance Airport

Parking in front of the terminal is limited to two hours, as signed, and is for drop-off and pick-up only. The Shire says vehicles in breach may be fined or towed, and asks drivers who need longer than two hours to use the long-term parking bays.

Getting from Esperance Airport into town

The Shire's airport page gives (08) 9071 1782 for Esperance Taxi Service, and the Airservices entry shows the same number against its taxi listing. The Visitor Centre's website advises arranging the taxi before you arrive so that you are not left waiting. The Airservices entry also lists a hire car, and Airservices notes that in many instances services such as a taxi or hire car are not at the aerodrome itself and have to be called by telephone after arrival.

The airport is 23 kilometres north of Esperance, and the Esperance Visitor Centre's website calls it a 25-minute drive from town.

Budget is among the car hire companies on the Shire's airport page, and the Visitor Centre's website says Budget has a service desk at the airport. Fly Esperance runs a door-to-door private transfer between the airport and town and asks passengers to book in advance; for a flight out, it collects passengers in town about 75 minutes before the flight.

Transwa's coaches stop in town at the Esperance Coach Stop on Dempster Street, on the beachfront, with services from East Perth and from Kalgoorlie. The Visitor Centre's website says the local public bus runs from town to West Beach, Castletown or Nulsen on weekdays during the day.

Flights from Esperance Airport to Perth

Direct domestic flights recorded from Esperance Airport go to the destination below, with Rex.

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Perth	Perth Airport (PER)	Rex

Rex's frequently asked questions page says it operates all its services at Perth Airport from Terminal Two (T2).

The Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure's air services page, updated 24 April 2026, lists the Esperance-Perth-Esperance air route as a fully regulated route operated by Rex to 2 July 2028. On a fully regulated route the State Government awards exclusive rights through a competitive tender. The Shire says it has no authority over the airline's agreements or operations, and that complaints go to the airline or to the Department of Transport.

Esperance and Perth are both in Western Australia, which does not observe daylight saving. Queensland and the Northern Territory do not either, while New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory do.

Flying with Rex from Esperance Airport

Rex takes bookings on 13 17 13, and the Shire's airport page sends enquiries about flight times, delays, lost property and luggage to Rex on that number.

Check-in and boarding times

Rex's airport check-in desk closes 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time at regional airports in Western Australia, and the boarding gate closes 15 minutes before. Rex recommends presenting checked bags 60 minutes before departure. Passengers who are not at the gate by the closing time are refused boarding, and the fare is forfeited.

Web check-in opens 48 hours and closes 60 minutes before the scheduled departure time. With carry-on bags only, you can go straight to the gate with a printed or digital boarding pass; with checked bags, drop them at the airport check-in desk. Passengers with special requirements must check in at the airport.

Identification for Rex flights

Rex's Travel Requirements page requires passengers aged 18 and over to show an acceptable form of identification, with a name that matches the booking. A passenger without photo identification must show two forms of non-photo identification, and Rex accepts electronic copies shown on a device.

Passengers aged 17 or under need no identification when travelling with, or presented at check-in by, an identifiable guardian. Rex's Conditions of Carriage ask for satisfactory photo identification at check-in.

Baggage on Rex flights

Rex publishes its cabin and checked baggage allowances on its baggage allowance page, so check it before you pack. Carry-on bags may be weighed and measured.

Carry-on bags over the limits at the boarding gate are offloaded, travel as checked baggage on the next available flight, and are yours to collect from the airport when they arrive. Rex suggests asking its staff to test a doubtful bag against the size and weight limits before check-in closes. It also reserves the right to offload checked bags within the allowance when an aircraft is restricted in the baggage it can carry.

Wheelchairs and other help

Rex asks for notice of special requirements, such as a wheelchair, at least 48 hours before the planned departure time, given at booking or through its Customer Contact Centre. With later notice, Rex cannot guarantee the resources will be available.

Delays and cancellations

Rex's Conditions of Carriage list inclement weather among the events beyond its control, and say times of arrival and departure are not guaranteed. If Rex changes the schedule or cancels the flight you booked, you may cancel the ticket and get a full refund.

When it cancels, Rex will try to offer a seat on another flight, other transport such as a bus, or a flight to the nearest alternative Rex port, and does not bear hotel or taxi costs. Refreshments or meals may not always be available at some of the regional airports it flies to, Rex notes, because of their limited facilities.

Rex's Flight Status and Disruptions page shows disruptions and cancellations forecast for today and tomorrow. Disruptions of less than 15 minutes and air traffic control delays may not be displayed.

When Australian air services must be screened

The Australian Government's Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre says an open charter or regular public transport air service must be 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

When the liquids restrictions apply

The Department of Home Affairs says its restrictions on liquids, aerosols and gels apply 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
• before boarding an inbound flight at its last point of departure before it reaches Australia

Where the restrictions 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 runways and the proposed upgrade at Esperance Airport

The Shire says the sealed runway, 11/29, was first chip sealed in 1973, extended in 1982 and lengthened by 300 metres to 1,800 metres in 2007, with an asphalt overlay in 2009. The other runway, 03/21, remains a gravel surface.

The Shire's Esperance Airport Runway Upgrade page says two independent assessments have confirmed that the main runway's subgrade and pavement need full reconstruction. The Council proposes to lengthen it to accommodate larger aircraft, lists improved emergency capacity for larger emergency services aircraft among its aims, and proposes to upgrade the gravel cross strip so that passenger, Royal Flying Doctor Service, emergency and charter flights can continue while the main runway is rebuilt.

The page lists lengthening to 2,100 metres among what the funding would deliver. It shows the design tender (awarded to Airport Consulting Group), the business case and the design and costings as complete, with applications for State and Federal Government funding as the active step.

History of Esperance Airport

The Shire says the first aircraft on record to visit Esperance landed on Pink Lake in January 1930. The RAAF chose the aerodrome site in 1939 and began works in 1940, and the Department of Civil Aviation handed the aerodrome to the Shire of Esperance in 1962.

The original terminal was a converted RAAF wireless telegraphy building that the Shire describes as no bigger than a bus shelter, and a second was built in 1962 to hold about 20 people. The third, designed in 1983 and formally opened in 1984 for up to 80 people, is the centre section of the present terminal, which was extended in 1999 and again in 2012 around Federal Government security requirements after 9/11.

Visiting Esperance

Transwa puts Esperance 720 kilometres east-southeast of Perth, and Tourism WA calls it an eight-hour drive from Perth. Transwa says French explorers named it in 1792 after the ship L'Esperance, and that it is the only port in Western Australia's south-east.

The Shire of Esperance covers over 400 kilometres of coastline, which the Shire says ranges from the bays and islands of the Recherche Archipelago to the cliffs of the Great Australian Bight. The Shire names the Kepa Kurl Wudjari people of the Nyungar nation and the Ngadju people as the traditional custodians of the land it serves.

Cape Le Grand National Park

Tourism WA says Cape Le Grand National Park can be reached by conventional vehicle in about half an hour from Esperance. DBCA (the Parks and Wildlife Service) names the Wudjari people as the park's Traditional Owners, and describes a coastline of large granite outcrops and white beaches, with heathland that is home to pygmy possums and western grey kangaroos.

DBCA lists Lucky Bay, Thistle Cove, Hellfire Bay, Le Grand Beach and Frenchman Peak (262 metres), a steep hike with views over the park and the islands of the Recherche Archipelago. The Le Grand Coastal Trail links many of the park's coastal sections.

Park entry fees apply, paid at the park's entry station, and DBCA says dogs and other pets are not allowed in the park. Bins are not provided, and campfires are not permitted at any national park campground.

Lucky Bay

DBCA says Matthew Flinders named Lucky Bay in 1802, when his ship HMS Investigator took shelter there from a summer storm, and that a plaque at the eastern end of the bay marks the event. DBCA credits the bay with "arguably, the whitest sand in Australia".

The bay has barbecue facilities, toilets reached by a wheelchair-accessible concrete path, and sealed parking with accessible bays. DBCA asks campers to book the campground in advance, and warns that the beaches are notoriously treacherous for vehicles.

Great Ocean Drive

The Visitor Centre's website describes the Great Ocean Drive as a 40-kilometre loop to explore by car. Its stops include Twilight Cove, Ten Mile Lagoon, Nine Mile Beach, the Rotary Lookout with a 360-degree view of the town and the archipelago, and Salmon Beach Wind Farm, the site of Australia's first commercial wind farm, where one turbine remains.

Pink Lake Lookout is also on the drive; the lake is no longer pink, and information on site explains why. A path for walking or cycling runs from the Esplanade to Twilight Cove and Pink Lake.

Twilight Beach and coastal safety

Twilight Beach is 7 kilometres west of Esperance, and the Shire says it is patrolled on Sundays from the beginning of December to the end of March, and on summer public holidays. The Shire warns of rocks covered in black algae that are very slippery when wet, rips and big swell, and points to the SharkSmart WA app. It adds that mobile phone coverage on the coast is not guaranteed.

Questions about Esperance Airport

How far is Esperance Airport from Esperance?

The Shire puts the airport 23 kilometres north of Esperance on the Coolgardie-Esperance Highway. The Esperance Visitor Centre's website calls it a 25-minute drive from town.

When is the terminal at Esperance Airport open?

The Shire says the terminal opens around scheduled flights and is closed outside scheduled flight times, and that its hours vary when the flight schedule changes. Public bathrooms are accessible 24 hours a day.

How do I get from Esperance Airport into town?

Esperance Taxi Service is on (08) 9071 1782, and the Visitor Centre's website advises booking before you arrive. The Visitor Centre's website says Budget has a service desk at the airport, and Fly Esperance runs a private door-to-door transfer that it asks passengers to book in advance.

Where can I get food and drink at Esperance Airport?

The Shire's airport page lists coffee, snacks and drinks from vending machines in the passenger lounge.

Which Perth Airport terminal do Rex flights from Esperance use?

Rex's frequently asked questions page says it operates all its services at Perth Airport from Terminal Two (T2).

Does Esperance change its clocks for daylight saving?

No. Esperance is in Western Australia, which does not observe daylight saving.