# Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW)

> Darwin, AU · IATA: DRW · ICAO: YPDN · Large Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `DRW` |
| ICAO | `YPDN` |
| City | Darwin |
| Country | AU |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 31 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | -12.41497, 130.88185 |

## Description

Although Darwin Port handles the bulk of northern Australia's live-cattle exports by sea, Darwin International Airport (DRW) covers the time-sensitive end of the region's freight. Positioned just 12 degrees south of the equator, it is Australia's closest major airport to Southeast Asia and shares its runways with RAAF Darwin air base. For the Northern Territory, air freight is a supply line that links remote communities to goods, mail and urgent shipments. Capacity comes from passenger belly-hold, scheduled cargo services and on-demand charter flights. A niche specialty is live-animal air freight: goats, plus some sheep and cattle, leave Australia by aircraft from here. Heavier or bulk consignments are better routed through the adjacent seaport and road network. The dual civil-military layout also supports defence and disaster-relief logistics across the Top End. Given the proximity to international borders, Australian Border Force customs and biosecurity checks are especially rigorous.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/darwin-international-airport-raaf-darwin-airport-drw](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/darwin-international-airport-raaf-darwin-airport-drw)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/darwin-international-airport-raaf-darwin-airport-drw](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/darwin-international-airport-raaf-darwin-airport-drw)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/darwin-international-airport-raaf-darwin-airport-drw/llm-summary*