Skytrans is an Australian owned and operated airline and

air charter Air charter is the business of renting an entire aircraft (i.e., chartering) as opposed to individual aircraft seats (i.e., purchasing a airline ticket, ticket through a traditional airline). Regulation Charter – also called air taxi or ad h ...

business based in

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

. The airline operates RPT and charter services from Cairns, Horn Island, and Brisbane. After being placed in administration in January 2015, Skytrans returned to the skies on 31 March 2015.

History

Skytrans was founded by David and Sue Barnard in October 1990 as a charter airline, and began scheduled flights in 1993. In November 2000, Skytrans merged with

AirSwift Aviation Skytrans is an Australian owned and operated airline and air charter business based in Cairns. The airline operates RPT and charter services from Cairns, Horn Island, and Brisbane. After being placed in administration in January 2015, Skytrans ...

, another small regional airline based in Cairns. In June 2001, Skytrans took over services to Cooktown and Karumba from

MacAir Airlines MacAir Airlines Pty Ltd was a regional airline based in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It operated scheduled passenger services throughout Queensland from major regional locations, as well as regular and ad hoc charters for the minerals indu ...

. In January 2005, the airline began to operate in competition with

QantasLink QantasLink is a regional brand of Australian airline Qantas and is an affiliate member of the Oneworld airline alliance. It is a major competitor to Regional Express Airlines and Virgin Australia Regional Airlines. As of September 2010 Qantas ...

on the Cairns to Townsville route, operating from its own terminals in both cities. In December 2006, the airline was acquired from its founders by Australian Aviation Holdings, owner of

Queensland Regional Airlines Queensland Regional Airlines was an airline based in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. It was established and started operations in 2003 and operates passenger services, as well as contract and ''ad hoc'' charter and aircraft leasing. Its main b ...

(QRA) and

Inland Pacific Air Skytrans is an Australian owned and operated airline and air charter business based in Cairns. The airline operates RPT and charter services from Cairns, Horn Island, and Brisbane. After being placed in administration in January 2015, Skytrans ...

. Skytrans and QRA subsequently merged under the Skytrans Regional brand. Late in 2014, the carrier had sought to reduce costs by cutting its workforce of 200 employees by over half while trimming its fleet of seven Dash 8-100s and three Dash 8-300s. Skytrans suspended operations with effect from 2 January 2015 when placed in voluntary administration. In a statement, Managing Director Simon Wild blamed the worsening Australian dollar currency exchange rate, coupled with a tough operating environment – worsened by the loss of three Queensland regulated regional air routes in late 2014. The end of operations came a day after the carrier marked its 25th anniversary of Queensland services - outback and regional Queensland, the Gulf country, and Cape York services in particular on 2 January 2015. On 31 March 2015, Skytrans returned to the skies under the ownership of Collings Holdings Airlines owned by Peter Collings, who also owns

West Wing Aviation West Wing Aviation is a Queensland based airline that was founded in 2000 and commenced operations on 2 May 2000. History The founder and CEO of the company, Peter Collings, owned airline operations running in Queensland dating back to 1992. A ...

, and Rugby League player

Johnathan Thurston Johnathan Dean Thurston (born 25 April 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All ...

Destinations

Skytrans operates RPT and charter flights throughout the Cape York and

Torres Strait The Torres Strait (), also known as Zenadh Kes, is a strait between Australia and the Melanesian island of New Guinea. It is wide at its narrowest extent. To the south is Cape York Peninsula, the northernmost extremity of the Australian mai ...

regions. Skytrans also provides charter flights out of

Brisbane Airport Brisbane Airport is the primary international airport serving Brisbane and South East Queensland. The airport services 31 airlines flying to 50 domestic and 29 international destinations, in total amounting to more than 22.7 million passeng ...

for QGC. Destinations served from

Cairns Airport Cairns Airport is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest ...

: *

Kowanyama Kowanyama is a town and coastal locality in the Aboriginal Shire of Kowanyama, Queensland, Australia. It is the site of the former Mitchell River Mission, founded in 1916, after the nearby Trubanamen Mission (established not far away on Tops ...

* Pormpuraaw *

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

Aurukun Aurukun is a town and coastal suburbs and localities (Australia), locality in the Shire of Aurukun and the Shire of Cook in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is an Indigenous Australian, Indigenous community. In the , the locality of Aurukun ...

* Lockhart River * Horn Island * Proserpine *

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

Destinations served from

Horn Island Airport Horn Island Airport is an airport on Horn Island in the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. World War II The Civil Constructional Corps and the Department of Main Roads began construction of an advanced operational airbase on the island ...

: *

* Lockhart River * Kubin Village (Moa Island) *

Badu Island Badu or Badu Island (; mwp, Badhu, ; also Mulgrave Island), is an island in the Torres Strait north of Thursday Island, Queensland, Australia. Badu Island is also a locality in the Torres Strait Island Region, and Wakaid is the only town, loc ...

Mabuiag Island Mabuiag, also known as "Mabuyag" and natively "Mabuyaagi", formerly "Jervis Island") is one of the Torres Strait Islands in Queensland, Australia. Mabuiag is also a town and locality in the Torres Strait Island Region local government area. I ...

Boigu Island Boigu Island (also known as Malu Kiyay or Malu Kiwai) is the most northerly inhabited island of Queensland and of Australia. It is part of the Top Western group of the Torres Strait Islands, which lie in the Torres Strait separating Cape York Pe ...

Saibai Island Saibai Island, often shortened to just Saibai ( mwp, Saybay), is an island of the Torres Strait Islands archipelago, located in the Torres Strait of Queensland, Australia. The island is situated north of the Australian mainland and south of the ...

* Murray Island *

Darnley Island Darnley Island or ''Erub'' in the native Papuan language, Meriam Mir, is an island formed by volcanic action and situated in the eastern section of the Torres Strait, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is loc ...

* Yam Island * Coconut Island * Yorke Island * Warraber Island Destinations served from

: *

Chinchilla Chinchillas are either of two species (''Chinchilla chinchilla'' and ''Chinchilla lanigera'') of crepuscular rodents of the parvorder Caviomorpha. They are slightly larger and more robust than ground squirrels, and are native to the Andes mount ...

Taroom Taroom is a town in the Shire of Banana and locality split between the Shire of Banana and the Western Downs Region in Queensland, Australia. At the , Taroom had a population of 869 people. Geography The town is located on the Dawson River ...

Fleet

As of June 2018, the Skytrans fleet consisted of four

de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 The De Havilland Canada DHC-8, commonly known as the Dash 8, is a series of turboprop-powered regional airliners, introduced by de Havilland Canada (DHC) in 1984. DHC was later bought by Boeing in 1988, then by Bombardier in 1992; then by ...

(as of August 2019) and six

Cessna 208 Caravan The Cessna 208 Caravan is a utility aircraft produced by Cessna. The project was commenced on November 20, 1981, and the prototype first flew on December 9, 1982. The production model was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, FAA ...

Sponsorships

Skytrans has delivered multimillion-dollar sponsorships and endorsements to communities in Queensland, donating to more than 250 organisations. Skytrans is a major sponsor of the

Cairns Taipans The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team based in Cairns, Queensland. The Taipans compete in the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at the Cairns Conventio ...

in the National Basketball League and has supported various causes such as

AFL AFL may refer to: Sports * American Football League (AFL), a name shared by several separate and unrelated professional American football leagues: ** American Football League (1926) (a.k.a. "AFL I"), first rival of the National Football Leagu ...

Kickstart, Choice Business Australia, The Queensland Cancer Council, and Harold's House.

References

External links