FIFO jobs from Townsville
Where FIFO workers based in Townsville fly to, the mining regions those flights serve and the employers whose own pages mention hiring from Townsville. 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
Townsville Airport (TSV)
Townsville Airport describes itself as a crucial travel and freight hub for North Queensland providing a gateway for the region's tourism, mining and defence sectors. Queensland Airports Limited says its passenger mix includes resource industry travellers.
Source: townsvilleairport.com.auMining regions FIFO workers from Townsville 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.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.auMoranbah South (Bowen Basin)
The Queensland Government EIS page describes Moranbah South as an underground coal mine about three kilometres south-east of Moranbah and approximately 150 kilometres south-west of Mackay.
Source: qld.gov.au
Flights from Townsville to mining areas
| Destination | Airline | What the source says |
|---|---|---|
| Mount Isa (ISA) | Qantas / Rex / Virgin Australia | Queensland Airports Limited's Mount Isa Airport page says about 82 per cent of travel is business, largely FIFO, with direct services to Brisbane and Townsville. Qantas also lists Mount Isa-Townsville among its resident-fare routes.Source: qldairports.com.au |
| Cloncurry (CNJ) | QantasLink / Alliance Airlines | Cloncurry Shire Council says the airport operates five days a week for FIFO and RPT, QantasLink serves Cloncurry from Townsville, Brisbane and Mount Isa, and Alliance runs a FIFO charter for local mines plus an RPT service Cloncurry to Townsville and Brisbane.Source: cloncurry.qld.gov.au |
| Cloncurry (CNJ) | Qantas | Qantas lists Cloncurry-Townsville among the routes covered by its discounted fares for residents.Source: qantas.com |
| Perth (PER) | Virgin Australia | Virgin Australia's flights-from-Townsville page lists Perth. The page does not say it is a FIFO service.Source: virginaustralia.com |
| Cairns (CNS) | Rex | Rex's flights-from-Townsville page lists Cairns, alongside Julia Creek, Winton, Richmond, Hughenden and Longreach. The page does not say these are FIFO services.Source: flights.rex.com.au |
| Airlines serving Townsville | Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Alliance, Airnorth, Rex | Queensland Airports Limited lists these as the airlines servicing Townsville Airport.Source: qldairports.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 Townsville
MacKellar (multiskilled operator)
SEEK ad: "Flights from Townsville, Rockhampton and Cairns", with listing text "7/7 day/night roster | Flights, camp & meals provided".
Source: au.seek.comMacKellar (excavator operator)
SEEK ad: "FIFO from Townsville, Rockhampton or Cairns".
Source: au.seek.comNW Mining & Civil
SEEK ad for a Cloncurry mine role: "FIFO from Brisbane or Townsville".
Source: au.seek.comHays Resources & Mining
SEEK ad for a warehouse operator: "Must be living in Rockhampton OR Townsville for FIFO".
Source: au.seek.comJetcrete Oz
SEEK ad for a Mount Isa role: "Flights from Brisbane, Townsville or Cairns" (title "FIFO ex. Cairns/Townsville/Brisbane").
Source: au.seek.comCompass Group (FIFO Chefs)
SEEK ad: "FIFO where possible from the following points of hire: Brisbane, Townsville and Rockhampton".
Source: au.seek.comThiess
SEEK ad lists "BIBO from Mackay or Townsville" and "DIDO or BIBO only (no FIFO)". This is bus-in bus-out, not FIFO.
Source: au.seek.comTechforce (Mount Carlton)
SEEK ad: "DIDO or BIBO from Townsville". This is drive-in drive-out or bus-in bus-out, not FIFO.
Source: au.seek.comTechforce (second ad)
SEEK ad: "DIDO/BIBO from Townsville or Mackay". This is drive-in drive-out or bus-in bus-out, not FIFO.
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). Mount Isa is about 900 km from Townsville.
Source: qgso.qld.gov.auQueensland Government Statistician's Office (June 2024): of Bowen Basin resource workers with a known place of residence, around 1,485 persons (4 per cent) came from the Townsville region.
Source: qgso.qld.gov.auMany Townsville-based roles in current ads are bus-in bus-out (BIBO) or drive-in drive-out (DIDO) to Bowen Basin and Mount Carlton sites rather than FIFO, so check the roster type in each ad.
Source: au.seek.com
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 Townsville Airport statement specific to FIFO. The airport says only that it is a gateway for the region's mining sector.
- A current air service from Townsville to Moranbah or the Bowen Basin.
- Route evidence comes from airline fare pages, which show a route exists, not that FIFO workers use it. The Mount Isa and Cloncurry pages say FIFO explicitly.
- Employer evidence is job ads seen on 10 October 2026. Ads close, so check each one is still open.
FIFO from Townsville: questions answered
Where do FIFO workers from Townsville fly to?
The sources on this page link Townsville to North West Queensland (Mount Isa, Cloncurry), Bowen Basin (Moranbah, Isaac region) and Moranbah South (Bowen Basin). 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 Townsville?
Townsville Airport (TSV). Townsville Airport describes itself as a crucial travel and freight hub for North Queensland providing a gateway for the region's tourism, mining and defence sectors. Queensland Airports Limited says its passenger mix includes resource industry travellers.
Which employers hire FIFO workers from Townsville?
The employer pages and job ads cited here name MacKellar (multiskilled operator), MacKellar (excavator operator), NW Mining & Civil, Hays Resources & Mining, Jetcrete Oz, Compass Group (FIFO Chefs), Thiess, Techforce (Mount Carlton) and Techforce (second ad). Roles and points of hire change, so check each careers page for current jobs.
How do I find FIFO jobs from Townsville?
Search a job board such as SEEK, Indeed, Jora or Workforce Australia for the role and Townsville, 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.