26/08/2025
Skills for sky-high careers on show with CQU Cairns Aviation Centre at Cairns Airport
It’s Australia’s busiest regional destination and welcomes five million plane passengers a year – and Cairns is leading the way to equip the next generation of pilots and aviation professionals too.
Tropical Cairns Airport is home to CQ University Cairns Aviation Centre, a high-tech hub for aviation career development across Australia.
Explore practical study pathways at http://link.mediaoutreach.meltwater.com/ls/click?upn=u001.t-2FQ9AxEQFCr0pmTLb7Xn1ZQhNccxAVH74Sfm8D0OpvOmIikSDvVU1cOd8R6F8MQC7FQUniFerG0-2Fc4faW-2BbFb5-2FHhBivBL1AkBc8TLs-2FCeo-3D2D0f_F-2B18IOO1ZU6iY4K-2F9Q9GBB30cZRm0cTzDUvopOh7gCGFcrWpyp-2FbAtGKFted4355B-2B2WqR9q023-2Bs37Mt920FX-2FkrpanUK3Q-2B8pERFV96nMtlNXLf6V8v62up7ycvuGGLs948RO1E98mBs95JX0WZCdsZkBiwGUhCjWdRMqfd1wz29quPq1wAF5RiB3pA2IOC2dcsV6yhvbgnTW00LgJIC2FfGhHjRpRhIE4NT-2BhgS0g-2BpShylbfBo3rriUTpoxb5evWPdNezPQrWgrSd2KLWtxYmxwjzvfm76DYZ2hn7VgXYq4DSzpfyX9-2Bei5v5v8d5-2FMSwKcK8XZAmiS6aSw2i9d2O2Hwzi1ASKDgMz2L6tZJbVXQhaRqsXUxdLOj2n-2Fu Cairns Airport Careers Day on Sunday 31 August, and get hands-on with cutting edge training at the CQU Cairns Aviation Centre.
The $3.8 million facility includes a 737 flight simulator, and its industry-connected training puts students on a rapid runway to a career in the skies.
Dr Steve Leib is the Head of Course for Aviation in CQU’s School of Engineering and Technology, and said Australia’s fast-growing aviation sector is in dire need of skilled pilots, and airline and airport professionals.
“CQUniversity partners with more than a dozen flight training providers across Australia, so our students are getting into the air at their own pace, at whichever location is convenient for them, while also building aeronautical knowledge with our experienced lecturers,” Dr Leib said.
“A commercial pilot license requires around 220 hours of flight time, and our courses support students to complete practical training, while also learning flight fundamentals, safety and law requirements, aviation systems and leadership essentials.
“Our degrees also open doors into a wide range of aviation careers, and our graduates are in demand across airlines and airports, tourism, and freight and logistics sectors.”
Students who complete the first year of CQU’s Bachelor of Aviation (Flight Operations) can then begin their Graduate Diploma of Aviation, a concurrent two-year course to meet Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) requirements for recreational, private and commercial pilot licenses.
Graduating with both Bachelor and Diploma takes three years full-time, and is available for flexible part-time study.
At the Cairns Airport Careers Day, visitors to the CQU Cairns Aviation Centre can:
• Tour aviation facilities
Explore teaching spaces with views of the tarmac in the historic Tom McDonald building
• Experience flight simulation
Get a guided tour of the Aviation Tower, with state-of-the-art flight simulator in demonstrations from 11 am to 12 pm
• Talk to Aviation lecturers
Experienced Cairns-based pilots and educators share their advice and insights
Since opening in 2019, the CQU Cairns Aviation Centre has supported aviation aspirations for hundreds of students, putting Far North Queensland on the map to help meet global demand for pilots and aviation leaders.
Mareeba student Pierre-Noel Guntendorfer began the Bachelor of Aviation aged 18, and just two years later has already holds his private pilot license.
He even achieved the “massive milestone” in his hometown, completing flight training through MAF Training Centre in Mareeba, while CQU prepared him for theory testing.
“I would highly recommend joining the CQU program… it partners with flight schools that are spread across the country at most larger airports, which gives students a chance to study without needing to move far from home,” Pierre-Noel said.
“It has always been my dream and once I have completed my Bachelor of Aviation, I plan on becoming an airline pilot.”
Not in Cairns? Register to attend the CQU Aviation Webinar on Wednesday 3 September, from 3:30pm to 4:30pm AEST, to start flexible, online Aviation studies across Australia.
Join us on the 31 August 2025 and tour our CQU Cairns Aviation Centre. Chat with lecturers, see our flight simulator and find out how we train pilots.
