FIFO jobs from Cairns
Where FIFO workers based in Cairns fly to, the mining regions those flights serve and the employers whose own pages mention hiring from Cairns. Every item links to the page it came from.
Last checked 10 October 2026. Routes, charters and points of hire change, so confirm with the airline or employer before you plan around them.
The airport
Cairns Airport (CNS)
Source: cairnsairport.com.auMining regions FIFO workers from Cairns go to
North West Queensland (Mount Isa, Cloncurry)
Queensland Government Statistician's Office describes the North West region as one of the world's richest mineral-producing regions (copper, gold, lead, silver, vanadium and zinc), with about 8,620 resource industry workers in June 2024.
Source: qgso.qld.gov.auWeipa and Cape York (bauxite)
A Queensland Government ministerial statement of 8 March 2019 refers to Rio Tinto's Amrun bauxite mine and Weipa operations securing more than 1300 jobs for the Cape (2019 figure, not current).
Source: statements.qld.gov.auBowen Basin (Moranbah, Isaac region)
Queensland Government Statistician's Office says the Bowen Basin contains most of Australia's high quality metallurgical coal reserves plus significant thermal coal, with about 47,155 resource industry workers and 48 operating coal mines in June 2024.
Source: qgso.qld.gov.au
Flights from Cairns to mining areas
| Destination | Airline | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Weipa (WEI) | Alliance Airlines | Alliance Airlines' home page shows a Cairns to Weipa fare.Source: allianceairlines.com.au |
| Weipa (WEI) | Qantas / Skytrans | Cairns Airport's airlines page lists Weipa among destinations for Qantas and for Skytrans.Source: cairnsairport.com.au |
| Mount Isa (ISA) | Rex | Rex publishes a flights-from-Cairns page listing Mount Isa. Cairns Airport's airlines page also lists Mount Isa under Rex.Source: flights.rex.com.au |
| Townsville (TSV) | Qantas / Rex | Cairns Airport's airlines page lists Townsville under both Qantas and Rex.Source: cairnsairport.com.au |
| Mackay (MKY) | Qantas | Cairns Airport's airlines page lists Mackay under Qantas.Source: cairnsairport.com.au |
| Perth (PER) | Jetstar / Virgin Australia | Cairns Airport's airlines page lists Perth under Jetstar, and Virgin Australia's flights-from-Cairns page lists Perth. Neither page says these are FIFO services.Source: virginaustralia.com |
| Brisbane (BNE) | Qantas / Virgin Australia | Cairns Airport's airlines page lists Brisbane under Qantas and Virgin.Source: cairnsairport.com.au |
| Charter services (various) | Not stated | Cairns Airport's airlines page has a Charter Services heading. Specific charter routes and operators for mining are not stated.Source: cairnsairport.com.au |
We list routes as published by the airline or airport. We do not list fares or flight times, and many FIFO workers fly on charters booked by their employer.
Mining employers hiring FIFO workers from Cairns
Sodexo
SEEK ad: "Roster: FIFO from Cairns, QLD on a 14:7 roster".
Source: au.seek.comMetro Mining Limited
SEEK ad for Bauxite Hills: "Travel to site at Skardon River via Charter Flights from Cairns, Weipa, Mapoon, Bamaga and Horn Island", a 15/13 FIFO roster, and "Applicants residing in Cairns or the broader Far North Queensland (FNQ) region are strongly encouraged to apply".
Source: au.seek.comCSI Mining Services
SEEK ad for a Weipa loader operator: "Fly In, Fly Out options are available from Cairns or Brisbane, while Drive In, Drive Out is available for residents of Weipa and surrounding areas".
Source: au.seek.comCater Care Services
SEEK ad: "Point of Hire (POH): Cairns,QLD /FIFO Roster: 14/7 available".
Source: au.seek.comMacKellar
SEEK ad for an excavator operator, Rockhampton area: "FIFO from Townsville, Rockhampton or Cairns".
Source: au.seek.comJetcrete Oz
SEEK ad for a Mount Isa service crew role titled "FIFO ex. Cairns/Townsville/Brisbane", with the body saying "Flights from Brisbane, Townsville or Cairns".
Source: au.seek.comHussey Corp (Amrun jobs listing)
SEEK listing page for Amrun jobs (a search page, not a single ad) says "FIFO opportunities from both Cairns and Brisbane".
Source: au.seek.com
Good to know
The Coordinator-General's page (updated 26 March 2026) says large resource projects (EIS required or a site-specific environmental authority, with 100 or more workers) near resource communities cannot have 100 per cent fly-in-fly-out workforces under the Strong and Sustainable Resource Communities Act 2017, and that the Coordinator-General can include or exclude projects.
Source: coordinatorgeneral.qld.gov.auQueensland Government Statistician's Office (June 2024): many non-resident North West region resource workers fly-in/fly-out from coastal regions including Townsville (1,780 persons or 24 per cent), South East Queensland (1,435 persons or 19 per cent) and Cairns (660 persons or 9 per cent).
Source: qgso.qld.gov.auQueensland Government Statistician's Office (June 2024): of Bowen Basin resource workers with a known place of residence, 515 persons (2 per cent) came from the Cairns region. It describes some non-resident workers travelling from regional Queensland such as Cairns and Townsville.
Source: qgso.qld.gov.auTravel Daily, 25 October 2023 reported charters by NJE on Cairns-Townsville-Moranbah, among other routes, under a Rex contract. This is a trade press report, so check whether the charter still runs.
Source: traveldaily.com.au
Before you apply
- Mining jobs in Queensland
- Entry level and FIFO jobs with no experience
- Mining tickets and what they cost
- Is FIFO worth it?
- What FIFO camps are like
Mining towns in Queensland: Mount Isa, Moranbah, Mackay, Gladstone, Emerald, Blackwater, Moura, Collinsville and Cloncurry.
What we could not verify
We looked for these and did not find a primary source, so they are not stated above.
- A current Cairns Airport statement on FIFO traffic. The latest we found is from 2013.
- A current Cairns to Moranbah FIFO charter: only 2013 and 2023 trade press mention one.
- A timetable for Cairns to Weipa: we saw an Alliance fare and a Cairns Airport airline listing only.
- Route evidence comes from airline fare pages, which show a route exists, not that FIFO workers use it.
- Employer evidence is job ads seen on 10 October 2026. Ads close, so check each one is still open.
FIFO from Cairns: questions answered
Where do FIFO workers from Cairns fly to?
The sources on this page link Cairns to North West Queensland (Mount Isa, Cloncurry), Weipa and Cape York (bauxite) and Bowen Basin (Moranbah, Isaac region). Queensland Government Statistician's Office describes the North West region as one of the world's richest mineral-producing regions (copper, gold, lead, silver, vanadium and zinc), with about 8,620 resource industry workers in June 2024.
Which airport do FIFO flights leave from in Cairns?
Cairns Airport (CNS).
Which employers hire FIFO workers from Cairns?
The employer pages and job ads cited here name Sodexo, Metro Mining Limited, CSI Mining Services, Cater Care Services, MacKellar, Jetcrete Oz and Hussey Corp (Amrun jobs listing). Roles and points of hire change, so check each careers page for current jobs.
How do I find FIFO jobs from Cairns?
Search a job board such as SEEK, Indeed, Jora or Workforce Australia for the role and Cairns, and read each ad for the point of hire. Employer careers pages often say which cities they fly workers from. Our FIFO jobs hub links to mining company careers pages.