Bankstown Airport is a general aviation airport and business park located in the City of Bankstown, from the central business district of Sydney, Australia. The airport is situated on 313 ha (770 acres) of land and has three parallel runways, several apron areas, a small passenger terminal and a business park, home to over 170 businesses.Bankstown Airport operates 24 hours a day, with limitations placed on night circuit training. In the calendar year of 2011, Airservices Australia recorded 243,126 aircraft movements at the airport. This makes it the fourth busiest airport in Australia by number of movements, after Sydney, Moorabbin Airport and Jandakot. Most of the traffic reported (208,226) is in the sub 7 tonnes light aircraft category. The airport is a major hub of Australian general aviation, is home to numerous fixed-wing and helicopter flying schools, charter operators, aircraft maintenance businesses, and private aircraft.HistoryWorld War IIBankstown Airport was originally planned in 1929. The plan to build an airport at Bankstown was put on hold until it was established in 1940, after the commencement of World War II when the Department of Civil Aviation attained of land for development as an Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) facility. The formal proclamation of the Bankstown airfield project occurred under the National Security Act on 7 June 1940. The urgency was such that work began immediately; the Act permitted construction to begin even before the land had been officially resumed by the government. On 2 December 1940 RAAF Headquarters was established at Bankstown and on 19 December No 2 Aircraft Park moved to Bankstown where it remained until 28 March 1945. Its facilities were then taken over by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm.
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