- Local intake to grow high-skill aviation jobs in North Queensland
- Largest single intake of trainees for Boeing Defence Australia
Townsville, Qld, Jan. 21, 2026 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] Defence Australia (BDA) has welcomed 35 trainees who will begin Aircraft Technician training for the Australian Army’s AH-64E Apache and CH-47F Chinook helicopter fleets. The cohort is the first to train at Aviation Australia’s new Townsville Aviation Training Academy.
Trainees will complete either a Certificate II in Aircraft Line Maintenance to undertake flightline support roles or enter a four-year apprenticeship to earn a Diploma in Aeroskills in either avionics or mechanical trade streams. Graduates will be qualified to perform maintenance, repair and upgrades across Apache and Chinook platforms.
“All trainees are Townsville locals who have joined us from a range of backgrounds — from high school graduates and military veterans to former miners and teachers — and they represent the next generation of Boeing’s regional aircraft maintenance workforce,” said Naomi Smith, director, BDA Sustainment Operations.
“This cohort will strengthen the local aerospace capability that will keep frontline helicopter fleets mission ready and continue to grow Townsville as a vital defence hub.”
Boeing established operations in Townsville in 2011 and has grown to more than 80 local employees across Apache and Chinook programs.
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