Darwin International Airport Seeks Expressions of Interest for Hangar Space in New 4,000 sqm General Aviation Precinct

Airport Development Group (ADG), which owns and operates Darwin International Airport, has launched an expression of interest (EOI) campaign for general aviation operators seeking hangar space in the airport's new 4,000-square-metre development zone. The precinct is located on Murphy Road.

Sites in the precinct start at 200 square metres and offer airside access via established taxiways for Code A aircraft with a wingspan of up to 16 metres and a maximum take-off weight of up to 5,700 kilograms. The airport expects the precinct to attract flight training facilities, private jet operators, maintenance hangars, charter and tourism operations, and defence and aeromedical operators.

Tristan Cribb, ADG's executive general manager of property, described Darwin as an important hub for aviation and defence and said the precinct is open to both new and established businesses. He said ADG is taking an open approach to understand what the market needs and what businesses want to develop, inviting established operators looking to expand, new aviation businesses seeking a Darwin base, aircraft owners wanting purpose-built hangarage and aviation-support businesses to put forward ideas.

EOIs are open until 2:00pm (ACST) on Thursday, 26 November 2026. ADG said submissions should include preferred site size, aircraft requirements, development requirements, operational needs, proposed time frame and organisational capability.

RAAF Base Darwin, which shares a runway with the civilian airport, is midway through a $160 million upgrade project aimed at improving operational capacity, safety and resilience. The works include a new high-capacity main entrance, a separate upgraded entry for heavy vehicles, and upgrades to potable water, firefighting water and sewer systems. The project is earmarked for completion in 2027 and is intended to strengthen the base's ability to support large numbers of personnel, aircraft and logistics during major exercises and deployments.

Airports that share a runway with a military base sit at a useful crossroads for general aviation. Civil operators gain taxiway access and infrastructure on a field already built for demanding traffic, while defence and aeromedical users value proximity to a base undergoing a $160 million upgrade. A precinct that names both groups among its target tenants is pitching to that overlap.

An open-ended EOI, with no fixed tenant mix or build programme, is a way for a landlord to gauge appetite before committing capital. Respondents describe their own site size, aircraft and timeline, and the owner then shapes the development around the strongest submissions. The Code A limit of 16 metres wingspan and 5,700 kilograms keeps the precinct oriented toward light aircraft and small business types, so heavier jets would not fit this particular offer.

The next milestone is the 26 November 2026 closing time. The mix of respondents by category, whether training, charter, maintenance or defence-linked, will show which segments see Darwin as worth a dedicated hangar.