The Indigenous owner of the only airport in the Southern Hemishphere which operates a civil hot-refuelling service is considering how the unique asset can support a broader range of initiatives across the Dampier Peninsula.

Djarindjin Airport, about 170 kilometres north of Broome, has developed into a significant aviation asset supporting Shell and INPEX's LNG operations in the Browse Basin, about 370 kilometres offshore.

Owned by Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation (DAC) through Djarindjin Airport Pty Ltd (DAPL), the airline's entirely Indigenous airport crew is employed from communities across the Dampier and has been hot-refuelling helicopters carrying passengers to offshore oil and gas operations since 2011.

DAC took control of the airport's operations and management in February 2022, with DAPL selling approximately eight million litres of Jet A1 fuel while managing 70,000 passengers through its terminal, representing a considerable period of growth to June 2026.

While the airport's long-standing relationships with Shell and INPEX remained central to its operations, expansion priorities for DAC would include regional and business aviation, high-end aviation and cultural tourism, essential and emergency services, and future commercial and industrial development.

Chief executive Nathan McIvor said operations at Djarindjin Airport showed what could be achieved when remote Aboriginal communities had control over economic assets and invested in local capability.

"The airport is a case study in what happens when a remote Aboriginal community invests in its own people," he said.

"We don't just operate the airport, we've transformed it."

Diversification is also extending beyond the airport's physical operations after a strategic plan in 2024, when DAPL began working with software developer Aero Ascent on technology designed specifically for helicopter turnaround operations.

The resulting application is used at Djarindjin Airport to support its operations and, according to DAC, is the only airport software product of its kind built for helicopter turnarounds.

DAC is now considering a joint venture with Aero Ascent, which could commercialise the technology for international airports and create another revenue stream from expertise developed on the Dampier Peninsula.

From operating aviation infrastructure to potentially exporting technology and operational knowledge, the opportunity is a notable evolution for an enterprise initially established to service offshore resources activity.

For Mr McIvor, the airport's success is ultimately about demonstrating a model of Indigenous economic participation built around ownership, capability and long-term sustainability.

"Djarindjin Aboriginal Corporation has built something that is sustainable and will be here for generations to come," he said.

Mr McIvor said DAPL's workforce was central to the airport's broader economic impact and the business was beginning to see a second generation of local workers come on board.

He said the airport had demonstrated that locally driven economic development could deliver both commercial performance and longer-term social benefits.

"We have developed a skilled aviation workforce drawn entirely from Bardi Jawi communities, and created one of the region's most reliable revenue streams," Mr McIvor said.