Cloncurry Airport (CNJ)

Departures from Cloncurry Airport (CNJ) at a glance

• 3flights a day69th busiest of 111 airports
• 2routes from here
• 1airline
• 11:10 – 18:10first and last00061218

Collected 12 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Cloncurry Airport (CNJ) is north of the town of Cloncurry in North West Queensland, and Cloncurry Shire Council owns and manages it. The council's visitor guide map marks the airport 5 kilometres out of town. On the council's parking map the access road is Sir Hudson Fysh Drive, while its airport page gives the address as Aerodrome Road.

This site's schedule records show direct flights with Qantas to Mount Isa and Townsville.

What Cloncurry Airport is used for

The council describes the airport as a transit point for fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workers in the critical minerals sector of North West Queensland, and for delivering regular passenger services. It also lists aeromedical services, counter-disaster operations during flood and bushfire, general aviation including charters and the Horizon Airways Flight School, and drone testing.

The terminal at Cloncurry Airport

In its master plan of June 2023, the council described one terminal building, built in 2015 and generally well maintained apart from roof leaks and some unreliable equipment.

The same plan described the terminal as crowded because of tightly scheduled flights and uncontrolled passenger flow through it. It also said the terminal floor had been flooded during heavy rain because of drainage on the landside.

Security screening at Cloncurry Airport

The council's June 2023 master plan said the terminal's security area had previously been used for security screening, and described it at that date as a corridor for passengers walking in both directions.

The Commonwealth's Cyber and Infrastructure Security Centre sets general conditions for air services, not a ruling on Cloncurry. It lists three separate conditions for an open charter or regular public transport air service to be screened:

• uses aircraft with a seating capacity of 40 or more persons
• operates from an Australian designated, tier 1 or tier 2 security controlled airport
• uses any aircraft departing from the same apron as a screened air service operating at a designated airport

Home Affairs liquids, aerosols and gels restrictions

The Department of Home Affairs page on what you can and cannot bring says each container must be 100 mL, 100 g or less, and lists these situations:

• when departing Australia
• when transiting through Australia from one country to another
• when travelling on the domestic leg of a flight departing from an Australian international terminal
• before boarding an inbound flight at its last point of departure before it reaches Australia

It also says the restrictions apply when arriving in Australia on an international flight.

Parking and drop-off at Cloncurry Airport

The parking map on the council's airport page marks these zones:

• Zone A: drop-off and pick-up lane along the terminal frontage
• Zone B: 2-hour parking
• Zone C: long-term parking
• Zone D: 2-hour parking for buses and large vehicles

The map also marks restricted access areas at the airside gates.

Getting to and from Cloncurry Airport

The Cloncurry Airport shuttle bus

A Cloncurry Airport Shuttle Bus can be arranged through the Cloncurry Travel Agency, in person or on (07) 4742 1107, according to the council's tourism site.

Hire cars for Cloncurry

Hire cars are available in Mount Isa but not in Cloncurry, according to the council's tourism site. If you want to fly in and drive, it recommends flying into Mount Isa and hiring a vehicle there.

The council puts Mount Isa 119 kilometres west of Cloncurry, and says Mount Isa Airport is 1 hour 30 minutes' drive away.

Coach, rail and road links to Cloncurry

The council's 2023 visitor guide names Bus Queensland and Greyhound Australia as the operators of coach services in and out of Cloncurry, booked through the Cloncurry Travel Agency or with the operators directly. Its tourism site also lists a bus link from Mount Isa to Cloncurry.

The tourism site lists Queensland Rail's service between Townsville and Mount Isa, and gives the address of Cloncurry Railway Station as Hutchinson Parade.

By road, the council places Cloncurry on the Overlanders Way, 770 kilometres west of Townsville. The Flinders Highway comes in from Townsville and the Barkly Highway from the Northern Territory.

Roads cut by floods

During flood events, the roads in and out of Cloncurry are cut off, leaving air as the way to bring people and goods in and out of town, the council's June 2023 master plan said. For road conditions, the visitor guide points to Queensland's 13 19 40 line, qldtraffic.qld.gov.au and the council's Cloncurry Dashboard.

The wet season and the 2026 runway damage at Cloncurry Airport

The wet season typically runs from October or November to April, according to the council's visitor guide. The guide adds that road closures from rain occur mainly from December to February, but can happen at any time.

The Cloncurry Airport Recovery and Renewal Project, a Queensland Reconstruction Authority package, covers recovery and renewal works at the airport, which was directly damaged by the Queensland Monsoon Trough, Cyclone Koji, Cyclone Narelle and Severe Weather event of 24 December 2025 to 24 April 2026. The Australian and Queensland Governments fund it jointly under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements. A Queensland Government statement of 6 January 2026 said the package would repair the damaged airstrip and increase the airport's capacity to take larger aircraft.

In a release dated 24 August 2026, the council said a monsoon trough associated with ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji damaged sections of the runway in January 2026. It said emergency repairs had restored the runway to near-normal operations, but that the airport remained vulnerable until its full rehabilitation program was complete, and that its application to the Commonwealth Regional Precincts and Partnerships Program had been unsuccessful.

In the same release, the council said it was preparing for the possibility of downgrading the airport's operational status in the coming wet season if there was potential for a repeat of the runway failure, unless further funding was found. It said a downgrade would restrict heavier jet aircraft from landing and taking off and could affect FIFO mining flights. If you are flying to or from Cloncurry in the wet season, check your booking with your airline before you travel.

Direct domestic flights recorded from Cloncurry Airport

This site's schedule records show direct domestic flights from Cloncurry Airport to the places below, with the airlines recorded on each route.

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Mount Isa	Mount Isa Airport (ISA)	Qantas
Townsville	Townsville Airport (TSV)	Qantas

Both destinations are in Queensland, the same state as Cloncurry. The council directs bookings to Qantas on 13 13 13 or qantas.com.au.

Cloncurry's aviation history

A chance meeting in November 1919 between pastoralist Fergus McMaster and aviator Paul McGinness, in the dry bed of the Cloncurry River, was instrumental in the formation of Qantas, according to the council's visitor guide. A monument on the edge of the river marks it.

The council says Cloncurry was involved in the beginnings of Qantas in 1920, and that the original Qantas hangar is still in use at the aerodrome, with "Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Service" displayed above the hangar door. Its visitor guide adds that a stone monument stands out front. The first Qantas passenger flight landed in Cloncurry in November 1922, and the guide names the passenger as Alexander Kennedy, aged 84, and the pilot as Hudson Fysh.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service was born in Cloncurry in 1928, according to the council's tourism site. The site also lists John Flynn Place Museum and Art Gallery on King Street, at the corner of Daintree Street, with disabled access available; call the museum on 07 4742 4174 for details.

The Cloncurry Unearthed Visitor Information Centre and Museum is at the Flinders Highway and McIlwraith Street, on (07) 4742 1361.

Questions about Cloncurry Airport

Who runs Cloncurry Airport?

Cloncurry Shire Council owns and manages the airport. The council's number on its airport page is 07 4742 4100.

How far is Cloncurry Airport from the town?

The council's visitor guide map marks the airport 5 kilometres out of town, to the north of the Cloncurry township.

Can I hire a car at Cloncurry Airport?

The council's tourism site says hire cars are available in Mount Isa but not in Cloncurry, and recommends flying into Mount Isa to hire a vehicle. The same site gives the Cloncurry Airport Shuttle Bus, which can be arranged through the Cloncurry Travel Agency.

Does Cloncurry observe daylight saving?

No. Cloncurry is in Queensland, which does not observe daylight saving, and nor do Western Australia and the Northern Territory. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory do.