Southern Airlines
Southern Airlines is a privately held Australian air charter and aerial survey operator based in Cairns and Mareeba, Queensland, serving charter and survey clients across Australia and internationally with a six-aircraft fleet.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersCairns, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Southern Airlines does
Southern Airlines is a privately held Australian air charter and aerial survey operator headquartered at Moorabbin Airport, with operational bases in Cairns and Mareeba, Queensland. Founded in 2018, the company operates a fleet of six aircraft split between two service lines: air charter and freight (using two B1900 turboprops and one AC50) and aerial survey (using one P.68, two Piper Chieftains, and one Turbo Commander 690A). The B1900 aircraft can carry up to 19 passengers, 2.4 tonnes of freight, or a combination, while the AC50 handles smaller payloads of up to six passengers or 650kg of freight. The survey division is BARS Green certified and supports projects ranging from small-scale survey work to large national operations across Australia.
The company serves two primary customer segments: charter customers requiring passenger or freight transport across Queensland and internationally, and aerial survey clients needing specialized aircraft for mapping, observation, and data collection missions. Southern Airlines reaches customers through a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model, relying on its website, a dedicated phone line (1300 167 809), and email ([email protected]) to generate quote-based, pay-as-you-go revenue. Pricing is custom-quoted per job based on aircraft type, distance, duration, and payload requirements, with no public pricing or intermediaries involved in the distribution chain.
The business is small, with 18 employees and no disclosed funding history, management team, or revenue figures. Ownership structure is not transparent, and the company has no public ticker, no parent company, and no disclosed subsidiaries or M&A history. The operating footprint is regional Queensland with stated international capability as required, and the competitive positioning rests on BARS Green certification, dual-base flexibility, and a diversified fleet capable of both passenger/freight and survey missions.
Southern Airlines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern Airlines
- Legal name
- Southern Airlines
- Website
- https://southernairlines.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Southern Airlines is a privately held Australian air charter and aerial survey operator based in Cairns and Mareeba, Queensland, serving charter and survey clients across Australia and internationally with a six-aircraft fleet.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern Airlines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Charter Services
- NAICS
- Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)
- SIC
- Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cargo-Convertible/Mixed-Use Charter (Passenger + Freight) (TLAFABAL)
Keywords
Where Southern Airlines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cairns
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices2 records
Markets served
Southern Airlines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Air Charter Services: Revenue generated from charter flights using B1900 and AC50 aircraft. B1900 can carry up to 19 passengers, 2.4 tonnes of freight, or combination of both. AC50 can carry up to 6 passengers or 650kg of freight. Services operate from Cairns and Mareeba bases across Queensland, Australia and internationally.
- Aerial Survey Services: Revenue from aerial survey operations using dedicated survey fleet including P.68, two Piper Chieftains, and Turbo Commander 690A. Supports projects of all sizes from small-scale survey work to large national operations.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Custom quotation for charter and survey services |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
Southern Airlines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern Airlines is an Australian air charter and aerial survey specialist operating from bases in Cairns and Mareeba, Queensland. The company provides on-demand passenger and freight charter flights using its B1900 and AC50 aircraft, and conducts aerial survey work using a dedicated fleet of P.68, Piper Chieftain, and Turbo Commander 690A aircraft. Services are contracted directly by client organisations requiring regional air transport or aerial data collection in Far North Queensland.
Product overview
Southern Airlines operates as an air charter and aerial survey specialist offering two primary services: Air Charter & Freight using B1900 and AC50 aircraft from bases in Cairns and Mareeba, Queensland; and Aerial Survey using a dedicated survey fleet of P.68, two Piper Chieftains, and Turbo Commander 690A aircraft. The company provides reliable, flexible charter solutions and extensive aerial survey experience across Australia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Air Charter & Freight On-demand passenger and freight charter flights provided to organisations requiring regional air transport in Far North Queensland. Services are delivered using a fleet of Beechcraft B1900 aircraft configured to carry both passengers and cargo, alongside an Aero Commander 500 (AC50), departing from the company's Cairns and Mareeba bases.
- Aerial Survey Dedicated aerial survey and data-collection service delivered to organisations needing aerial imagery, mapping, or remote-sensing data across Far North Queensland. Surveys are flown using the company's dedicated fleet of a Partenavia P.68, two Piper Chieftains, and a Turbo Commander 690A, operated independently of charter flights.
Companies that use Southern Airlines
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Southern Airlines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Southern Airlines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Southern Airlines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sharp Airlines: Sharp Airlines is an Australian regional charter and scheduled carrier operating turboprop aircraft from bases in Portland and Hamilton, serving Victoria, Tasmania, and South Australia. Directly comparable as a regional Australian turboprop charter operator serving remote communities and freight customers.
- ChartAir: ChartAir is a Queensland-based charter operator headquartered in Cairns offering charter, freight, and aerial survey services across Northern Australia. Closest direct peer given shared Cairns base, overlapping charter and survey service lines, and similar fleet profile.
- Skippers Aviation: Skippers Aviation is a Western Australia-based charter operator providing passenger charter and aerial survey services from Perth using turboprop aircraft. Comparable regional charter-and-survey business model with similar fleet types and survey certification focus.
Broad incumbents
- Toll Aviation: Toll Aviation is part of Toll Group and operates cargo and charter services across Australia and the Pacific. Comparable as an air freight charter operator with similar mixed passenger/freight capability but significantly larger scale and corporate backing.
- Network Aviation: Network Aviation is a Qantas-owned charter operator providing charter, FIFO, and aerial survey services across Australia using a large fleet. Comparable as a charter and survey operator with broader resources and scale, serving similar mining and government customers.
Regional players
- Hardy Aviation: Hardy Aviation operates charter and aerial work services from Alice Springs in Central Australia, including passenger charter and survey operations. Comparable regional charter/survey mix though focused on Central Australian geography.
- Airnorth: Airnorth is a Northern Australia regional carrier operating scheduled and charter passenger and freight services from Darwin across the Top End and into Timor-Leste. Comparable regional turboprop operator with charter and freight capabilities, though operating on a larger scale.
- Aero Pearl: Aero Pearl is an Australian charter operator providing passenger charter and freight services primarily in regional New South Wales and Queensland. Comparable smaller-scale regional turboprop charter operator serving similar remote-area customers.
Emerging players
- Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF): MAF operates a humanitarian charter and aerial support service across remote Australia and the Asia-Pacific, using small turboprop aircraft for passenger and freight missions. Comparable regional remote-area charter model with similar fleet types.
- Complete Aviation Services: Complete Aviation Services operates charter and aerial work including aerial survey and freight across Australia. Comparable smaller-scale charter and survey operator with overlapping service lines and fleet profile.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Southern Airlines social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern Airlines compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Southern Airlines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern Airlines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Southern Airlines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern Airlines M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southern Airlines
What does Southern Airlines do?
Southern Airlines is an Australian air charter and aerial survey specialist operating from bases in Cairns and Mareeba, Queensland. The company provides on-demand passenger and freight charter flights using its B1900 and AC50 aircraft, and conducts aerial survey work using a dedicated fleet of P.68, Piper Chieftain, and Turbo Commander 690A aircraft. Services are contracted directly by client organisations requiring regional air transport or aerial data collection in Far North Queensland.
Is Southern Airlines a public or private company?
Southern Airlines is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Southern Airlines founded?
Southern Airlines was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Southern Airlines based?
Southern Airlines is headquartered in Cairns, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Southern Airlines make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Air Charter Services are the primary driver. The others are aerial Survey Services.
Who are Southern Airlines's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sharp Airlines, ChartAir and Skippers Aviation. Broad incumbents are Toll Aviation and Network Aviation. Regional players are Hardy Aviation, Airnorth and Aero Pearl. Emerging players are Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Complete Aviation Services.
Does Southern Airlines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern Airlines.
What industry is Southern Airlines in?
Southern Airlines's product category is Air Charter Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAFABAL, Cargo-Convertible/Mixed-Use Charter (Passenger + Freight). Its NAICS code is 481211 and its SIC code is 4522.