Skytrans Dash-8-100 VH-QQG Flys Through Emerald Airport Tuesday - Plus Damaged Dash-8-100 VH-QQA Still at Chinchilla Airport

It was interesting to note that Skytrans Airlines Dash-8-100 VH-QQG ferried North to Cairns from Chinchilla via Emerald Airport on Tuesday 17 November.

File photo taken by Kayanne Hardsman  ©

Skytrans has been operating Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flights to Chinchilla and Taroom since late October after the re-born airline won a three year $25 million dollar transport contract with QGC which sees Skytrans provide seven return flights per week for QGC staff and contractors from Brisbane.

However, Skytrans suffered a setback to these operations on Wednesday 28 October when fellow Dash-8-100 VH-QQA suffered significant damage while parked at Chinchilla Airport when a massive 'super-cell' thunder storm dropped tennis-ball sized hail over the township.

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VH-QQG was flown from Cairns to Brisbane shortly after and has been operating flights into Chinchilla from Brisbane.

VH-QQA remains at Chinchilla Airport with some reports suggesting that the aircraft is a 'write-off', while other reports suggest that repairs are being carried out to the aircraft to the extent that it may  be abel to fly back to Cairns for further repairs in the coming days!

It appears that another Skytrans Dash-8-100 VH-QQF positioned into Chinchilla from Cairns later on Tuesday 17 November and operated the evening FIFO charter flight back to Brisbane.