Adani Australia's Labona Airstrip (YLBA) Opens for Business at the Carmichael Mine with FIFO Flights from Rockhampton Airport This Week

It appears that at the start of this week, closed Fly-in Fly-out (FIFO) charter flights from Rockhampton Airport to Adani Australia's Carmichael Coal Mine have commenced.  On Monday 22 June, Hinterland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravan VH-TFS was noted visiting Rockhampton Airport as HND320/321 flying in from and later returning to Labona Station Airstrip which is located within the Carmichael Coal Mine site.

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As the photo above shows, the Labona Station Airstrip upgrade was recently completed and FIFO flights from Townsville to there have recently commenced and are also operated by Hinterland Aviation Cessna 208 Caravans.  Current schedules suggest 1-2 flights per day operating between Townsville and Labona.

An Adani spokesperson described the move as 'another exciting milestone' for the Carmichael mine and rail project, which has more than 500 people currently working on it.

"Airstrip works at our mine site are now complete and we have recently commenced flights between Townsville and Rockhampton and the mine site," the spokesperson said.

"We always said Rockhampton and Townsville would be the FIFO hubs for our project and we're delivering on that commitment.

The Adani spokesperson said the airstrip and FIFO flights would help improve the safety of staff and contractors, particularly around fatigue management, by significantly reducing their travel time at the start and end of their rosters.

"The flights will also mean less vehicles on the roads, which will benefit local road users," the spokesperson said.

The airstrip is about 1080m long and Adani is currently using Hinterland Aviation operated Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft to transport workers to and from the site.