As Canberra Airport open day approaches (Saturday 18 April), it’s worth reflecting on not just famous planes like Air Force One that have passed through our skies, but also notable passengers who have visited our terminal.
Canberra Airport was the landing strip for the first ever visit by a sitting US President in Australia back in 1966, when US President Lyndon B Johnson touched down in 1966. He returned again in 1967 to attend the memorial service for former PM Harold Holt.
Air Force One again touched down in Canberra when former US Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama visited in 2003 and 2011 respectively (regrettably, no Air Force One with Harrison Ford).
For the most part, Canberra Airport is preoccupied with flying almost all 226 federal parliamentarians in and out of Canberra for sitting weeks (over 80 per cent prefer Qantas), but Canberra Airport’s also welcomed heads of state like the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip, and the then Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana.
Hollywood royalty have also gathered around our luggage carousel, like actors Leonardo DiCaprio, James Fox, Eric Bana, Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton.
No surprises that local professional tennis champ Nick Kyrgios has touched down here, but other famous sporting greats passing through the arrivals gate include professional basketballer Patty Mills and Formula One driver Mark Webber.
Then there’s the not-so-famous passengers – but just as newsworthy. In 1993, five southern white rhinos were transported to Australia from South Africa and transferred in several trucks and delivered to Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo. Customs clearance must have taken ages.
We can’t leave out the historic pioneering aviators who have landed on our airstrip (Canberra Airport dates back to the 1920s and regular commercial lights have run since the early 1940s).
Pioneering aviators who have touched down here include Bert Hinkler, the first person to fly solo from England to Australia, and Charles Kingsford Smith who piloted the first transpacific flight and the first flight between Australia and New Zealand.
On a regular day at the office, Canberra Airport sees about 10,000 passengers fly in/out and it takes more than 18,000 staff to keep our airport running smoothly.
As for Canberra’s avid plane-spotters (there are 3,500 Canberra Plane Spotter members on Facebook), many of them watch Canberra Airport’s live webcam (especially when the last Qantas Boeing 747 400 took off in 2020 bound for the aircraft graveyard in a Californian desert).
Local plane-spotters have also been treated to the touch-down of the G for George Lancaster Bomber and F-35 Lightning II Stealth Fighters.
Something completely unrelated to aircraft, yet just as interesting, is that Canberra Airport resembles an oversized-indoor/outdoor art gallery, with more than 30 sculptures dotted around the grounds and terminal.
One last interesting fact: Oz rock royalty AC/DC used to park their blue Ansett Pioneer Clipper tour bus at Canberra Airport and use it as their base. Their tour bus was reportedly abandoned at Canberra Airport after breaking down and no-one knows what became of it.
Airport Open Day is on Saturday 18 April from 9am-3pm. Free entry. Info: canberraairport.com.au/airport-open-day-2026
