Karratha Airport (KTA)

Karratha Airport has been open since 1983 and is owned and operated by the Shire of Roebourne. It is Western Australia’s second-busiest airport, and many of its visitors are fly-in fly-out workers who are employed in the Pilbara’s resources industry. Karratha is approximately 1,500 kilometres north of Perth, was established in the 1960s, and is in the north-west of the state. 

Car Rental & Transport

Rental car operators Hertz, Avis, Budget and Thrifty all have service desks at Karratha Airport. Short-term and long-term parking are available, with the short-term area directly north of the terminal. Parking is free for up to half an hour. Transfer services are offered by companies including Jan Johnson Transit Vans, Kanga Van and Dave’s Transit Van. Karratha Taxi can be contacted through 131 330 to make a booking.

Attractions

Karratha is the fastest-growing town in the Pilbara, and the heart of the Pilbara Coast. The coastline boasts beautiful, white-sanded beaches, and one of the standout areas is the Burrup Peninsula - located between Karratha and Dampier - which has not only the country’s but the world’s most biggest concentration of Aboriginal rock carvings. Burrup also includes Hearson’s Cove, where the Staircase To The Moon phenomenon (caused by a full moon reflecting on the mudflats) can be seen on certain evenings between May and October. It is also a good base from which to explore nearby locations such as the Millstream-Chichester National Park, a two-hour drive away. 

Weather

Karratha’s climate is very hot and is semi-arid, verging on a desert environment. The average high and average low temperatures are 36.1 and 26.8 in January, and 26.2 and 13.7 in July.

Serviced Airlines

Karratha Airport is served by airlines including Airnorth (flying to Port Hedland, Broome and Darwin), Qantas (Perth, Broome, Port Hedland, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney) and Virgin (Perth).