Located six kilometres to the west of the city centre, Adelaide Airport is the main airport in South Australia, serving more than 7.5 million passengers per year across both domestic and international routes. Since its new dual-use terminal opened in 2005, the airport has won numerous awards, including the second best international airport in the world in the “5–15 million passengers” category.

The Adelaide Airport features a light and airy check-in area on its second floor which leads to security to the terminal building itself. Shops sell South Australian products, duty-free and designer brand names cluster in the centre, together with newsagents, cafes and restaurants. There are numerous currency exchange facilities located within the terminal, as well as pharmacies, prayer rooms and smoking areas, and free wifi available throughout. Domestic gates stretch to both sides, while those on international flights must pass through a separate security screening area before reaching their gates in the centre of the terminal. After flying into the Adelaide Airport, passengers are directed to the downstairs baggage claim areas and arrival halls where tourist information booths can be found, together with car hire companies and shuttle bus bookings. Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Tigerair Australia are the major airlines operating domestic routes from the airport, together with Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways on international flights.

The Adelaide Metro runs a JetExpress bus into the city centre from the airport, as well as a JetBus service to Glenelg, or there are door-to-door shuttle buses available. A pedestrian plaza right outside the arrivals area leads to a drop-off/pick-up area for cars, in addition to a taxi rank just to the left, and there is an extensive car park beyond.

A small aerodrome operated a mail service between Adelaide and Sydney from 1921, with the Parafield Airport the city’s first commercial facility, built in 1927. Domestic flights began at the current Adelaide Airport location in 1954, with international flights commencing from a separate terminal in 1982.