Alice Springs Airport (ASP)

15 kilometres south of Alice Springs itself is Alice Springs Airport, the country’s 18th-busiest airport in 2010-11. It is run by Northern Territory Airports, which also operates Darwin International Airport and Tennant Creek Airport. 

Car Rental & Transport

Car rental operators with desks at the airport are Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. There are two car parks, for long and short-term parking (see airport website for rates), operating 24 hours a day, A shuttle bus service is run by Wanderer Airport Transfers, and goes to the city’s centre, stopping at hotels and hostels along the way. Tickets can be purchased online ahead of the trip or at the airport. The local taxi company, Alice Springs Taxis, can be reached on 08 8952 1877.

Attractions

Alice Springs is the closest town to the World Heritage-listed Uluru, about 450 kilometres away, one of Australia’s most iconic landmarks. Closer by are attractions including the MacDonnell Ranges, including Simpsons Gap and swimming holes such as Ellery Creek and Redbank Gorge, the Finke Gorge National Park (130 kilometres away) and the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, the territory’s biggest home for reptiles including death adders, goannas and frillneck lizards.

Climate

Alice Springs’ climate is desert, and the average high and low temperatures are 36.4 and 21.5 degrees Celsius in January, and 19.7 and 4.1 in July.

Airlines

The most popular route is Melbourne, covered by Qantas. The airport is served by Qantas (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Ayers Rock and Cairns) and Tigerair (Sydney and Melbourne). Updates can be seen by following @ASprings Airport on Twitter.