Mount Gambier Regional Airport (MGB)

Departures from Mount Gambier Regional Airport (MGB) at a glance

• 6flights a day49th busiest of 111 airports
• 2routes from here
• 1airline
• 07:00 – 17:40first and last00061218

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

Mount Gambier Regional Airport (MGB) serves Mount Gambier, in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, from a site on Airport Road, Wandilo. The local council, which owns and runs the airport, says it is 10 minutes by road from the centre of Mount Gambier and describes it as serving the Limestone Coast and Western Victoria. Its airport page names Regional Express (Rex) for regular return passenger services to Melbourne and Adelaide.

Two details shape a trip through the airport. The terminal is open on days with flights, from the first flight of the day to the last, and the front gates are locked overnight. The Melbourne flight lands in South Australia from Victoria. South Australia's rules for travellers from Victoria bar fresh fruit.

Who runs Mount Gambier Regional Airport

The airport is owned and operated by the local council. Airservices Australia's aerodrome entry, dated 3 September 2026, names the operator as the District Council of Grant. That council decided on 15 June 2026 to change its name to Southern Limestone Coast Council, with the new name and logo rolled out progressively from 1 July 2026.

On 25 May 2026 the council announced that it had secured funding from the Federal Government's Regional and Remote Airport Support Program, which aims to provide financial relief to airport operators affected by Rex's voluntary administration in 2024. The council had become an unsecured creditor for unpaid airport charges after Rex's announcement in July 2024.

The terminal at Mount Gambier Regional Airport

The council's airport page says the terminal is open on the days there are flights, from the first flight of the day to the last flight of the day. The council's page gives the front gate hours as 5:15 am to 10:30 pm, and Airservices Australia's entry also has the entrance gates locked overnight for security. The same entry says Mount Gambier Regional Airport is a security controlled airport.

Inside, the council lists business desks with power outlets for charging and using devices, flight information screens, and a cafe, Aero Espresso. The council says the cafe prepares and cooks its meals and snacks on site, specialises in coffee, and has drinks available during the commercial passenger flights in the morning and late afternoon.

Flying Rex from Mount Gambier

Rex says that since 18 December 2025 it has been owned and governed by Air T.

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 60 minutes before departure, and its web check-in opens 48 hours ahead and closes 60 minutes before. The council's own advice is to arrive at the terminal at least 30 minutes before departure.

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.

Rex's baggage page lists its regional services as operated by the Saab 340 turboprop, and it currently allows 7 kg of carry-on baggage on all fares on those services. Rex says carry-on bags may be weighed and measured, and a bag over the limit at the boarding gate is offloaded and goes 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.

Rex describes boarding by the aircraft stairs. It says it provides a Disabled Passenger Lifter at its regular airports for passengers who cannot board or disembark using stairs, and it asks for special requirements at least 48 hours before the planned departure.

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 schedule or cancels the booked flight, the passenger may cancel the ticket and get a full refund. Rex's flight status and disruptions page lists disruptions and cancellations forecast for today and tomorrow.

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
• before boarding an inbound flight at its last point of departure before it reaches Australia

Getting into Mount Gambier from the airport

The council's transport page says the airport is reached by road in 10 minutes from the centre of Mount Gambier, and its airport information page gives the distance as 5 nautical miles.

Car hire

The council lists Budget, Hertz and SIXT among the car hire companies at the airport, and recommends booking ahead to be sure of the vehicle you want.

Taxis

The council says taxis operate to and from the airport on a regular basis.

Parking at Mount Gambier Regional Airport

The council lists two parking sections next to the terminal: a pick-up and drop-off section with a maximum stay of 4 hours, and a section where parking is permitted for up to three days. For stays longer than three days there is a secure long-term car park.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Mount Gambier Regional Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Mount Gambier Regional Airport go to the destinations below, with the airline recorded on each. The airline recorded is Rex.

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Adelaide	Adelaide Airport (ADL)	Rex
Melbourne	Melbourne Airport (MEL)	Rex

By road, South Australia's Department for Environment and Water puts Mount Gambier 435 kilometres from Adelaide, just under a five-hour drive.

New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory observe daylight saving, and Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory do not. Mount Gambier is in South Australia, and Melbourne is in Victoria.

Flying in from Melbourne: South Australia's fruit fly rules

The Melbourne flight lands in South Australia from Victoria. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) says some fruit, vegetables, plants, plant products and other items cannot be brought into South Australia from interstate, to protect the state's horticulture from fruit fly and other pests and diseases, and that the requirements depend on the type of produce and where you are travelling from. It says fruit and vegetables at risk from fruit fly must be eaten or disposed of before you enter South Australia.

PIRSA's rules for travellers from Victoria include these examples:

• Fresh fruit, avocados and fruiting vegetables such as capsicum, chilli, eggplant and tomato cannot be brought into South Australia.
• Leafy vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, broccoli and celery can be brought in, and so can root vegetables such as carrot and beetroot when they are free of soil with the tops removed.
• Cucurbits such as cucumber, pumpkin and zucchini can be brought in.
• For potatoes, PIRSA asks you to call the Fruit Fly Hotline on 1300 666 010.

The item-by-item list is on PIRSA's page for travellers from Victoria, and PIRSA says the Fruit Fly Hotline is open 24 hours.

The Blue Lake / Warwar, sinkholes and volcanic sites around Mount Gambier

South Australia's Department for Environment and Water lists Thugi / Cave Garden, the Mount Gambier Volcanic Complex, the Blue Lake and Mount Schank as State Heritage Area sites at Mount Gambier. It describes the volcanic complex as the most recent place in Australia where a volcano was active, with explosions about 4,000 years ago when volcanic activity heated the shallow groundwater. The complex has been a popular tourist spot since the 1880s and is recognised as a South Australian Geological Monument.

The department also lists a daily screening of 'Volcano' at the Riddoch Arts and Cultural Centre, about how Mount Gambier and the Kanawinka region were formed.

The Blue Lake / Warwar

The Blue Lake / Warwar is the largest crater in the volcanic complex and is now a permanent freshwater lake that supplies water to the local area. The department says it changes colour from grey in winter to bright blue in summer, through natural interactions between organic material and minerals in the water, and that the best time to see it is between November and March. A road and walking track of 3.6 kilometres runs around the lake with access to many lookouts, and the department mentions guided tours of the Blue Lake Pumping Station.

Warwar means "the sound of many crows" or "crow country" in Bunganditj, the reclaimed language of the Boandik People. The volcanic complex also includes Valley Lake / Ketla Malpi, and Leg of Mutton Lake / Yatton Loo and Browne Lake / Kroweratwari, which no longer contain water.

Thugi / Cave Garden

Thugi / Cave Garden, in the city centre, is a shady, landscaped park around a limestone sinkhole about 25 metres wide and 18 metres deep, with steps down to a viewing platform. The department says a waterfall commonly occurs in the sinkhole during wet weather, and that every evening historic local photos and pictures are projected onto the back of buildings in the garden. Thugi, meaning "bullfrogs" in Bunganditj, was added to the garden's name in 2022.

Mount Schank and cave diving at Hells Hole

Mount Schank is a volcanic cinder cone around 12 kilometres south of Mount Gambier, which erupted around 4,300 to 5,000 years ago and left a large, dry crater about 500 metres wide. Cave diving is possible at Hells Hole in Caveton, south of Mount Gambier, but access to the sinkhole is restricted. ForestrySA says divers need a ForestrySA permit and must be a member of either the Cave Divers Association of Australia or Australian Cave Explorers.

Questions about Mount Gambier Regional Airport

Which airline flies from Mount Gambier Regional Airport?

This site's schedule data records Rex, flying direct from Mount Gambier to Adelaide and Melbourne.

When is the terminal at Mount Gambier Regional Airport open?

The council's airport page says the terminal is open on the days there are flights, from the first flight of the day to the last. The council's page gives the front gate hours as 5:15 am to 10:30 pm.

How far is Mount Gambier Regional Airport from the city?

The council says the airport is 10 minutes by road from the centre of Mount Gambier, and gives the distance as 5 nautical miles.

How early should I get to Mount Gambier Regional Airport for a Rex flight?

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

Can I bring fruit on the flight from Melbourne to Mount Gambier?

PIRSA's rules for travellers from Victoria say fresh fruit cannot be brought into South Australia, and PIRSA says fruit and vegetables at risk from fruit fly must be eaten or disposed of before you enter the state. Leafy vegetables, and root vegetables free of soil with the tops removed, can be brought in.

What parking is there at Mount Gambier Regional Airport?

The council lists parking next to the terminal, in a pick-up and drop-off section with a maximum stay of 4 hours and in a section where parking is permitted for up to three days. For longer stays there is a secure long-term car park.

Is there a cafe at Mount Gambier Regional Airport?

The council lists a cafe in the terminal, Aero Espresso, which prepares its meals and snacks on site and specialises in coffee.

Does Mount Gambier observe daylight saving?

Yes. Mount Gambier is in South Australia, and South Australia observes daylight saving.