Townsville Airport at Garbutt was greatly expanded by the United States Armed Forces during World War II. These expansions made Townsville's airfield the largest in the southern hemisphere for some time. The airport has since been rebuilt several times. Townsville Airport serves as a hub for Queensland regional airline Alliance Airlines, which operates charter services to major mines located in outback Queensland. The airport land is also shared with RAAF Base Townsville. The airport was upgraded in 2003 to include new terminal departure and arrivals areas, and three new aerobridges. Townsville Airport has direct flights to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane as well as direct connections to many regional centres in Queensland including Cairns, Mackay, Hamilton Island and Mount Isa. International flights resumed on 3 December 2010 with Strategic Airlines services to Bali (Denpasar) twice weekly. In 2015, Jetstar began regular international flights from Townsville to Denpasar, Bali.
