Smart Industry Policy: Aviation

Fast stats 

• More than 900 aviation and aerospace companies are located in Queensland
• Over 16,500 aviation, aerospace and defence jobs in Queensland

Queensland - an aviation and aerospace hub

Queensland is an emerging centre for Australia's aerospace and general aviation industries with capabilities including:

• Aircraft and engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (including modification)
• Avionics manufacture
• Aircraft structures, airframes including advanced composites and systems software
• Aeronautical design
• Manufacture and precision engineering
• Pilot training
• Aerospace education - secondary, tertiary and postgraduate
• Logistics
• Unmanned airborne vehicles

Who is here?

Queensland's competitive and innovative aviation sector includes:

• Alteon Training Australia
• Asia Pacific Aerospace
• Australian Aerospace
• Boeing Australia Limited
• Boeing Phantom Works - Australia
• Daher Australian Aerospace
• Flight Training Queensland
• GE Aviation Systems Australia
• Hawker Pacific
• Insitu Pacific Limited
• Pratt and Whitney Canada (Australasia)
• Qantas Defence Services - Australian Conversion Centre
• Raytheon Australia
• Sikorsky Aircraft Australia
• TAE (subsidiary of Air New Zealand)
• Virgin Blue

Aviation industry workforce

Queensland is supporting the continued growth of the aviation industry with excellent education
and training, from high school to professional, including:

• Aviation High - Australia's first dedicated aviation high school based at Hendra
• Aerospace Gateway project - introduces aerospace subjects during Years 11 and 12
  at 17 Queensland secondary schools
• Aviation Australia - world-class centre of excellence in aviation and aerospace training
• Queensland universities - expanding aviation and aerospace programs at Queensland
  universities including at post graduate and post doctoral levels.

A strong defence sector

The Queensland Government is partnering with the Department of Defence to deliver the
Aerospace and Defence Support Centre Amberley to support RAAF Base Amberley achieve
mega-base status. This facility will complement the State's strong expertise in other defence
sub-sectors such as electronics, marine, heavy engineering/fabrication and vehicle construction.

Location

A number of Queensland regions are focused on the aviation and aerospace sector including:

• Brisbane - gateway to the Asia Pacific region and headquarters to global aerospace companies
• Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast regions - strengths in rotary and fixed-wing pilot training and aeroskills training
• Cairns - strengths in tourism and charter operations and associated support services
• Wide Bay/Burnett region - emerging centre of Australia's general aviation industry and
  potential international unmanned airborne vehicle test and training location
• Rockhampton/Townsville - extensive support to Queensland-based defence activities

Queensland Aviation Sector Action Plan

The Queensland Government, through the Queensland Aviation Sector Action Plan:

• promotes sustainable regional development
• pursues strong industry partnerships
• identifies major new opportunities in the industry.

Where to from here?

In order for the aviation industry to reach its full potential, the Queensland Government is supporting:

• international competitiveness and building critical mass
• skills and training
• infrastructure
• emerging and advanced technologies.

For more information

Aviation - Smart Industry Policy
Aviation - Action Plan

For more information about the Aviation Sector Action Plan please contact the Aviation and Defence team. 

For more information about the Smart Industry Policy and associated industry sector action plans please contact the Strategic Policy Team on 07 3227 7657.