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| Founded | 11 May 1984 (1984-05-11) | ||||||
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| Hubs | Cairns Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 15 | ||||||
| Destinations | 20 | ||||||
| Headquarters | Cairns, Australia | ||||||
| Employees | 80–100 | ||||||
| Website | hinterlandaviation.com.au | ||||||
Hinterland Aviation is a regional airline based at Cairns Airport in Queensland, Australia. The airline operates scheduled flights from Cairns Airport, Horn Island Airport, and Townsville Airport. It is considered the lifeline of Far North Queensland skies, connecting regional communities with essential services.
History
Hinterland Aviation was established on May 11, 1984. Over the past four decades, the airline has grown significantly. The company rebranded in 2020 to modernize its image and better reflect its role as a key connector of regional Queensland. In 2024, Hinterland Aviation introduced its new slogan: "Your Queensland Airline, Proudly Uniting Our Region".
Hinterland Aviation’s achievements include consistently beating other Australian airlines in on-time performance, as noted by the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE). The company operates over 13,000 hours of flying per year, carrying over 100,000 passengers on its RPT network, with over 14,000 scheduled flights annually.
Fleet
As of 2024, Hinterland Aviation’s fleet consists of the following:
| Aircraft | Total | Orders | Passengers | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cessna C208 Caravan 208B & EX | 13 | — | 12 | Includes the recently acquired EX Model C208s. |
| Cessna 408 SkyCourier | — | 2 | 19 | First SkyCouriers in Australia, enhancing capacity on the RPT network. |
| Beechcraft King Air 200 | 2 | — | 11 | |
| Total | 15 | 2 |
Destinations
Hinterland Aviation connects regional Queensland with a network of essential destinations:
From Cairns Airport
From Townsville Airport
From Horn Island Airport
In 2025, Hinterland Aviation added Yorke and Coconut Islands to its schedule and introduced Saturday services.
Achievements
Hinterland Aviation prides itself on:
Exceptional on-time performance, consistently ranking above competitors.
Introducing the first Cessna 408 SkyCouriers in Australia.
Providing critical connectivity for regional Queensland.
A fleet expansion to meet growing demand, including the recent acquisition of C208 EX Caravans and 2 C408s on order
