Cyclone Koji disrupts North Queensland aviation, forcing widespread flight cancellations and re-routing

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Koji crossed the coast near Ayr late on 11 January, dumping up to 300 mm of rain and lashing North Queensland with 140 km/h wind gusts. Proserpine, Mackay and Hamilton Island airports closed for most of Sunday, while Townsville Airport suspended operations for several hours due to cross-winds. Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar cancelled more than 80 regional services, and some long-haul aircraft diverted to Brisbane. (theaustralian.com.au)

By Monday morning (12 January) all four airports had re-opened, but knock-on disruption continues because overnight aircraft and crew were out of position. Qantas has activated a flexible-rebooking waiver for affected passengers and is sending supplemental Boeing 737 “recovery” flights to reposition travellers and crew. (qantas.com)



Road closures on the Bruce Highway and rail suspensions between Rockhampton and Cairns compound the problem for FIFO (fly-in-fly-out) mining rosters. Mobility managers for resources companies in the Bowen Basin report worker-change delays of up to 48 hours and have triggered contingency accommodation contracts in Mackay.

Meteorologists warn that saturated catchments could see renewed flooding as Koji’s remnants track west. Businesses with mobile staff in North Queensland should activate SMS alert systems and confirm that employees have at least three days’ medication and supplies in case of isolation.

Although aviation operations are returning to normal, insurers remind corporates that travel-delay claims are only valid if flights were booked before 10 January, when the system was officially named a cyclone.