Richard T. Williams International Airport (IATA: RTW, ICAO: ATRW), also known as Willy Field, is a major international airport located in Erebus, Antarctic Circle States, roughly 11 km (7 mi) from the city centre. It is one of the two airports (the other being Phoenix International Airport) owned and operated by the Capital Airport Authority.
The airport serves direct flights to all Antarctican provincial capitals, as well as to many regional centres. The major airlines servicing the airport are Air Antarctica and Polar Express operating domestic flights predominantly to Rothera, Cape Hallet and Dumont d'Urville. International flights to Hobart (Australia) and Auckland (New Zealand) operate once to twice weekly with Qantas and Air New Zealand.
Williams Airport was first opened in 1956 as Williams Aerodrome, featuring a single compacted snow runway. It was expanded during the 1980s into a major airport in the region, replacing Pegasus Airport as the primary hub for on-continent aircraft operations in Antarctica. The airport is named in honor of Richard T. Williams, a United States Navy equipment operator who drowned when his D-8 tractor broke through the ice during the construction of the airport on January 6, 1956. Williams Airport has an international terminal, a domestic terminal and a cargo terminal. The international terminal has a number of shops and a famous bar named "Willy Field Tavern". In the 2021-2022 financial year, the airport handled 2.1m passenger movements, making it the TBDth busiest airport in Antarctica.
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