Parkes Regional Airport (PKE)

Departures from Parkes Regional Airport (PKE) at a glance

• 3flights a day69th busiest of 111 airports
• 1route from here
• 1airline
• 06:20 – 17:00first and last00061218

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

Parkes Regional Airport (PKE) is five kilometres east of the Parkes town centre in the Central West region of New South Wales (NSW), off the Henry Parkes Way (Orange Road). Regional Express (Rex) flies from the airport to Sydney. About 20 kilometres north of the town is Murriyang, CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope, and the town hosts the Parkes Elvis Festival, next held from 6 to 10 January 2027.

Who runs Parkes Regional Airport

Parkes Shire Council runs the airport. The Airservices Australia aerodrome entry issued on 3 September 2026 names the council as the aerodrome operator.

The council and the Australian Government jointly funded new apron lighting through the Regional Airports Program, replacing a system first installed in 1974. The Australian Government's release on the project says the new lights, on existing towers and on a new tower, will make the security camera monitoring of the precinct more effective. In the same release, the mayor said the airport provides services to the Royal Flying Doctor, Air Ambulance, Angel Flight and the NSW Rural Fire Service.

Terminal facilities the council lists at Parkes Regional Airport

The council describes the terminal as wheelchair and pram friendly. Wifi is provided throughout the terminal building, and there are tables and chairs to work at, with a view of the airstrip.

• Male and female toilets with ambulant facilities.
• Baby change in the unisex disabled toilet.
• A snack vending machine and a coin-operated coffee machine.

For lost property, the council asks passengers to contact Rex directly.

According to the council, camera surveillance is used at the airport around the clock for public safety, security, and crime prevention and detection. Drones are not permitted at the airport.

Parking and drop-off at Parkes Regional Airport

Outdoor parking at the airport is limited, in the council's words, and security cameras are in place across the car park. The public drop-off and pick-up zone directly outside the terminal gives short-stop parking and suits passengers who need assistance. Accessible parking is on the western side of the terminal, closest to the luggage bay.

Car hire, taxis and transfers the council lists

The council's list of car hire companies serving the airport includes Hertz and Sixt, and it asks travellers to prearrange a booking with the company directly. The council lists Parkes Taxis and Western Road Liners under taxis and transfers; Western Road Liners' own website lists bus charter, school services, town services, and tours and charters.

Getting to Parkes by road, coach and train

Visit Parkes, the council's tourism site, gives road distances from Parkes of 365 kilometres to Sydney and 306 kilometres to Canberra. The Parkes Elvis Festival's frequently asked questions page puts Forbes 20 minutes away by car, Peak Hill and Trundle 30 minutes, and Orange, Cowra and Dubbo about one hour.

NSW TrainLink operates coach and rail passenger services between Parkes and Sydney, according to Visit Parkes. Transport for NSW's page says the Dubbo XPT stops at Orange with a connecting coach to Parkes, that NSW TrainLink runs services from Sydney to Lithgow with a connecting coach to Parkes, and that the Broken Hill Outback Explorer stops at Parkes.

Flying Rex from Parkes Regional Airport

Rex's check-in desk closes 30 minutes before scheduled departure at regional airports in NSW, and the boarding gate closes 15 minutes before departure. With checked bags, Rex recommends presenting them at the check-in desk 60 minutes before departure; web check-in opens 48 hours before and closes 60 minutes before. Under Rex's check-in rules, a passenger who is not ready at the gate by its closing time can be refused boarding and lose the fare.

Rex's Travel Requirements page asks passengers aged 18 and over for an acceptable form of identification (ID); a passenger without photo ID needs two forms of non-photo ID, and the name on the ID must match the booking. Passengers aged 17 or under need no ID when travelling with, or presented at check-in by, an identifiable guardian. Unaccompanied minors and passengers with special requirements check in at the airport, not online.

Rex's baggage page sets its allowances for regional services operated by the Saab 340: it currently allows 7 kg of cabin baggage on all fares, and 15 kg or 23 kg of checked baggage depending on the fare type. Cabin bags may be weighed and measured, and a bag over the limit at the gate is offloaded and carried as checked baggage on the next available flight. Rex says the Saab 340's cargo compartment has only very limited capacity, and its conditions let it offload checked bags within the allowance when the aircraft is restricted in the baggage it can carry.

Rex's access plan for the Saab 340 refers to the aircraft stairs. Rex asks passengers with special requirements to tell it at least 48 hours before departure, at booking on its website or through its Customer Contact Centre on 13 17 13.

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 lists inclement weather among the events beyond its reasonable control, and when it cancels it says it will try to offer another flight, another means of transport such as a bus, or a flight to the nearest alternative Rex port. Its disruption page also says that, with limited facilities at some regional airports, refreshments or meals may not always be available there.

Security screening and liquids rules

When an air service must be screened

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.

Liquids, aerosols and gels

The Department of Home Affairs says each container must be 100 mL (volume), 100 g (weight) or less, and all containers must fit in one transparent and re-sealable plastic bag. The restrictions 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;
• prior to boarding an inbound flight at its last point of departure before it reaches Australia.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Parkes Regional Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Parkes Regional Airport go to:

Destination	Airport	Airline recorded
Sydney	Sydney Airport (SYD)	Rex

The NSW Government says 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.

Murriyang, CSIRO's Parkes radio telescope

Murriyang is the 64-metre radio telescope at CSIRO's Parkes Observatory, which Visit Parkes places about 20 kilometres north of Parkes, a five-kilometre detour off the Newell Highway. CSIRO calls it one of the largest single-dish telescopes in the southern hemisphere dedicated to astronomy, adding that it operates every day, all day, and has occasionally supported space missions, most famously the Apollo 11 Moon landing. Visit Parkes notes that it was the star of the 2000 film The Dish.

In a release of 9 November 2020, CSIRO said the telescope had received the Wiradjuri name Murriyang, which represents the "Skyworld" where Biyaami (Baiame), a prominent creator spirit of the Wiradjuri Dreaming, lives. The Airservices Australia aerodrome entry for Parkes records an aircraft exclusion zone around the telescope.

The CSIRO visitors centre

The visitors centre at 585 Telescope Road has interactive exhibits, souvenirs, an accessible playground and picnic area, and a ticketed 3D theatre, and CSIRO says the centre is fully accessible. Its hours are extended during the NSW school holidays, and CSIRO publishes them on its visitors centre page.

CSIRO's Australia Telescope National Facility reported on 1 October 2026 that the cafe at the Parkes Observatory has re-opened. The observatory is a radio quiet site, and CSIRO asks visitors approaching it to turn off all mobile, wifi and Bluetooth technology.

The 2027 Parkes Elvis Festival

The festival's frequently asked questions page gives the 2027 dates as 6 to 10 January, with the theme "Elvis on Tour". It names a street parade, a car display, markets and shows in pubs and clubs, and says most venues are within walking distance of each other.

The same page adds that accommodation is in peak demand over the festival period, and that a festival shuttle bus runs in a loop within Parkes, stopping by most major venues and accommodation sites. It also names the NSW TrainLink Elvis Express as a way to travel to the festival.

Parkes town and shire

According to Visit Parkes, gold was discovered in 1862, when the settlement was a canvas town called Currajong, and a further find followed in 1871 at Bushman's Gold Mine. On 1 December 1873 the settlement's name was changed from Bushmans to Parkes, in honour of Sir Henry Parkes. A replica of his birthplace, Moat House Cottage, is at the Henry Parkes Centre alongside the Parkes Visitor Information Centre on Peak Hill Road.

Visit Parkes says the traditional owners of the Parkes Shire region are the Wiradjuri people, who have lived in these lands for more than 40,000 years, and that the Wiradjuri language is taught in local schools. The towns Visit Parkes lists for the region are Parkes, Bogan Gate, Peak Hill, Trundle and Tullamore.

Questions about Parkes Regional Airport

How far is Parkes Regional Airport from the Parkes town centre?

The council puts the airport five kilometres east of the Parkes town centre, off the Henry Parkes Way (Orange Road).

Which airline flies from Parkes Regional Airport?

Rex flies between Parkes and Sydney. The council asks travellers to contact Rex directly about flight schedules, bookings and luggage requirements.

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

With checked bags, Rex recommends presenting them at the check-in desk 60 minutes before departure. Its check-in desk closes 30 minutes before scheduled departure, and the boarding gate 15 minutes before.

What refreshments are there at Parkes Regional Airport?

The council lists a snack vending machine and a coin-operated coffee machine in the terminal.

How far is Murriyang from Parkes?

Visit Parkes puts Murriyang about 20 kilometres north of Parkes, a five-kilometre detour off the Newell Highway.

When is the 2027 Parkes Elvis Festival?

The festival's own page gives the dates as 6 to 10 January 2027.

Does Parkes observe daylight saving?

Yes. Parkes is in New South Wales, which observes daylight saving, according to the NSW Government.