Mine and plant workers will continue to have a fly in/fly out (FIFO) option at the Phosphate Hill operations in northwest Queensland, Australia, after Alliance Aviation extended its air charter services contract with owner Incitec Pivot.

The contract has been extended for three years with a bolt on two-year option that could see the service continue until 2021.

Incitec Pivot expects to produce 880,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphates from the operation in the year to the end of September, below the 975,000 tonne per year capacity. Phosphate Hill consists of its own mine and ore processing facility, in addition to beneficiation, ammonia, phosphoric acid and granulation plants.

Alliance has been providing air charter services to Phosphate Hill, 1,000 km from Townsville, since 2002. It provides these from its Townsville and Brisbane bases.

Lee Schofield, Alliance’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Flying into Phosphate Hill commenced in 2002 – the same year in which Alliance was established – and we are delighted to have retained this foundation contract for a further five years. By the conclusion of this new contract, Alliance will have been flying into Phosphate Hill for a continuous period of 19 years.”