What airport do you fly into for flights to Cairns?

Most people fly into Cairns (CNS) if they book a flight to Cairns. Cairns is conveniently located just 4.4 km from Cairns’s city centre. There are 29 flights from Sydney to Cairns per day from 3 different airlines.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns?

Currently, March is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight to Cairns . Flying to Cairns in June will prove the most costly. There are multiple factors that influence the price of a flight so comparing airlines, departure airports and times can help keep costs down.

Can I find cheaper flights to Cairns if I am willing to have stopovers?

Yes, flights with stopovers are often cheaper than direct flights. Keep an eye out for flight deals to Cairns on Cheapflights that require 1 or 2 stops for potential cost savings.

What is the best airline to fly to Cairns?

Based on reviews from Cheapflights users, Rex is rated the highest out of the airlines that fly to Cairns.

What is the cheapest airport to fly to in Cairns?

Cairns is currently the cheapest airport to fly to in Cairns. One-way flights to Cairns typically cost $90, while return flights cost around $134.

How much is a return flight to Cairns?

A return flight to Cairns will typically cost around $303, however they can be found for as little as $83.

Where does the fastest flight to Cairns depart from?

For those looking to save time traveling to Cairns, Townsville offers the quickest one-way flight (1 hour 5 minutes).

Does Cairns have car hire?

Yes. Those touching down at Cairns can take advantage of the car hire services offered upon their arrival.

Are there hotels close to Cairns?

Yes. Cairns has hotels nearby for those requiring accommodations. Homestay - Butterfly Haven is the closest property to Cairns (0.0 km away from Cairns).

$124+ Flights to Cairns, Australia

Flights to Cairns in 2025

Return from	$211
One-way from	$124
Popular in	December
Cheapest in	May
Average price	$360

Jetstar
12/2-28/2
Nonstop
6h 00m total
Sydney to Cairns

Search Deals

Jetstar
20/2
Nonstop
3h 00m total
Sydney to Cairns

Search Deals

High demand for flights, 9% potential price rise

Search Deals

Best time to find cheap flights, 3% potential price drop

Search Deals

Average for return flights in January 2025

Search Deals

Find flight deals to Cairns

Cheapest flights to Cairns
Explore the most affordable flight options available to Cairns. Find the lowest fares based on data from user searches, with prices last updated on 17 January 2025.

Thu 13/206:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Sun 16/206:40CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 17/1$211

Sun 22/619:45SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mMultiple Airlines

Sun 29/612:10CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 17/1$229

Tue 5/812:40SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 15mVirgin Australia

Mon 11/816:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mVirgin Australia

Deal found 16/1$233

Best flights to Cairns
Discover carefully curated flight deals to Cairns that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 17 January 2025.

Wed 12/211:30SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Fri 28/218:20CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 16/1$211

Thu 6/314:40SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mMultiple Airlines

Mon 10/306:40CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 15/1$240

Thu 6/312:50SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mVirgin Australia

Fri 14/315:45CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 15/1$243

Tue 8/409:45SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 10mQantas Airways

Mon 14/406:45CNS - SYD

1 stop11h 35mQantas Airways

Deal found 16/1$486

Direct flights to Cairns
Explore direct flight options to Cairns based on user searches, and compare prices and availability for your desired travel dates. Data last updated 17 January 2025.

Thu 13/206:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Sun 16/206:40CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 17/1$211

Thu 6/314:40SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mMultiple Airlines

Mon 10/306:40CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 15/1$240

Thu 6/312:50SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mVirgin Australia

Wed 12/315:45CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 15/1$243

Thu 13/209:45SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mQantas Airways

Mon 17/212:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mQantas Airways

Deal found 16/1$927

Last-minute flights to Cairns
Discover last-minute flight deals to Cairns. Data last updated 17 January 2025 and is based on user searches.

Thu 23/110:45SYD - CNS

2 stops8h 15mQantas Airways

Mon 27/106:30CNS - SYD

1 stop10h 55mQantas Airways

Deal found 17/1$970

Sun 26/106:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Thu 8/510:15CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mJetstar

Deal found 16/1$243

Sun 26/112:00SYD - CNS

1 stop5h 40mVirgin Australia

Tue 6/516:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mVirgin Australia

Deal found 16/1$312

Sun 26/106:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines

Thu 30/109:15CNS - SYD

1 stop8h 25mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 16/1$320

Wed 12/211:30SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Fri 28/218:20CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 16/1$211

Wed 12/208:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mVirgin Australia

Fri 21/317:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 16/1$286

Thu 13/219:05SYD - CNS

1 stop4h 40mQantas Airways

Mon 17/212:45CNS - SYD

1 stop7h 10mQantas Airways

Deal found 16/1$555

Sun 16/206:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines

Wed 19/211:40CNS - SYD

1 stop6h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 16/1$290

One-way flights to Cairns
Search for one-way flight options to Cairns. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 17 January 2025.

Thu 20/206:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 16/1$124

Mon 14/415:20SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 15mVirgin Australia

Deal found 16/1$171

Sun 9/321:30SYD - CNS

1 stop11h 50mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 16/1$208

Tue 4/307:05SYD - CNS

2 stops9h 50mQantas Airways

Deal found 16/1$459

Tue 11/219:15SYD - CNS

2 stops19h 35mEmirates

Deal found 16/1$962

Sun 9/307:55SYD - CNS

2 stops15h 50mAir New Zealand

Deal found 16/1$1,019

Find flights to Cairns within your budget

Fly from

Route

Depart

Return

Price

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 13/2

06:00-08:00

Nonstop3h 00m

Cairns

Sun 16/2

06:40-10:40

Nonstop3h 00m

$211

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 6/3

14:40-16:45

Nonstop3h 05m

Cairns

Mon 10/3

06:40-10:40

Nonstop3h 00m

$240

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 6/3

12:50-14:55

Nonstop3h 05m

Cairns

Fri 14/3

15:45-19:45

Nonstop3h 00m

$243

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 8/4

09:45-12:55

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Sat 12/4

06:45-18:20

1 stop11h 35m

$486

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Wed 19/2

06:00-08:00

Nonstop3h 00m

$124

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 14/4

15:20-18:35

Nonstop3h 15m

$171

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 1/3

18:05-08:35

2 stops15h 30m

$274

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 4/3

07:05-15:55

2 stops9h 50m

$459

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Fri 21/2

08:45-22:45

2 stops15h 00m

$961

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 9/3

07:55-22:45

2 stops15h 50m

$1,019

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 17/1

Best time to book a flight to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns with our price prediction graph.

Estimated return price

Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Travel insights for flights to Cairns

Get recent, data-driven insights about flights to Cairns including ideal travel times, pricing trends, and more.

When is the best time to book a flight to Cairns?

The best time to book flights to Cairns is 90 days before your desired departure date. The cost of your flight will likely increase significantly if you book two weeks in advance of your flight.

How long is the flight to Cairns?

On average, a flight from Sydney to Cairns takes 3 hours 0 minutes. Flights to Cairns from other popular cities in Australia will vary in length. Below are a few examples of popular routes and their flight times.

When is the cheapest time to fly to Cairns?

Users looking for the lowest fares to Cairns should consider flying on Wednesday afternoons, when prices are typically cheapest. Budget-minded travellers will want to avoid Wednesday at midday, when prices are usually at their highest.

Weekly flight availability to Cairns

The most flights from Sydney to Cairns are scheduled on a Thursday (41 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Tuesday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (25 on average).

What are the most popular airlines that fly to Cairns?

The most popular airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns are Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways.

Jetstar

From $121

Virgin Australia

From $124

Qantas Airways

From $166

What are the cheapest airlines that fly to Cairns?

The cheapest airlines flying from Sydney to Cairns are Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways.

Rainfall in Cairns by month

In terms of precipitation, rainfall in Cairns ranges from 20.0 - 430.0 mm per month. March is typically the wettest month, when rainfall can reach 430.0 mm. July is typically the driest time to visit Cairns when rainfall is around 20.0 mm.

Temperature in Cairns by month

If weather is an important factor for your trip to Cairns, use this chart to help with planning. For those seeking warmer temperatures, January is the ideal time of year to visit, when temperatures reach an average of 27.0 C. Travellers hoping to avoid the cold should look outside of June, when temperatures are typically at their lowest (around 21.0 C).

Reviews of airlines servicing Cairns

Read reviews from past customers who have flown Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways to Cairns. In addition to providing an overall rating, users have also rated airlines in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 10

The cabin crew were as always friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for more. Although the flight in business was under occupied there were a couple of things not available!

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 10

The cabin crew were as always friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for more. Although the flight in business was under occupied there were a couple of things not available!

Air New Zealand

7.9

Good

485 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 10

The cabin crew were as always friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for more. Although the flight in business was under occupied there were a couple of things not available!

Qantas Airways

7.5

Good

821 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 10

The cabin crew were as always friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for more. Although the flight in business was under occupied there were a couple of things not available!

Virgin Australia

7.5

Good

434 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 10

The cabin crew were as always friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for more. Although the flight in business was under occupied there were a couple of things not available!

Jetstar

6.6

Okay

467 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,351 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 10

The cabin crew were as always friendly and helpful. Couldn't ask for more. Although the flight in business was under occupied there were a couple of things not available!

What airport do you fly into for flights to Cairns?
Most people fly into Cairns (CNS) if they book a flight to Cairns. Cairns is conveniently located just 4.4 km from Cairns’s city centre. There are 29 flights from Sydney to Cairns per day from 3 different airlines.
Can I find cheaper flights to Cairns if I am willing to have stopovers?
Yes, flights with stopovers are often cheaper than direct flights. Keep an eye out for flight deals to Cairns on Cheapflights that require 1 or 2 stops for potential cost savings.
What is the best airline to fly to Cairns?
Based on reviews from Cheapflights users, Rex is rated the highest out of the airlines that fly to Cairns.
What is the cheapest airport to fly to in Cairns?
Cairns is currently the cheapest airport to fly to in Cairns. One-way flights to Cairns typically cost $90, while return flights cost around $134.
How much is a return flight to Cairns?
A return flight to Cairns will typically cost around $303, however they can be found for as little as $83.
Where does the fastest flight to Cairns depart from?
For those looking to save time traveling to Cairns, Townsville offers the quickest one-way flight (1 hour 5 minutes).
Does Cairns have car hire?
Yes. Those touching down at Cairns can take advantage of the car hire services offered upon their arrival.
Are there hotels close to Cairns?
Yes. Cairns has hotels nearby for those requiring accommodations. Homestay - Butterfly Haven is the closest property to Cairns (0.0 km away from Cairns).

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Cheapflights makes it easy to find Cairns flights by helping our users search from 900+ travel sites for deals. We also provide you with filters for cabin, price, airline, airports, number of stops, and many more to narrow down that perfect flight.

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets to Cairns?

Cheapflights simply makes it quick and affordable to book flights to Cairns by bringing together all flight options from hundreds of airlines and agencies online — and we put them in one place for you to choose from. Plus, Cheapflights is 100% free to use for all.

Can Cheapflights find flights to Cairns with no change fees?

Need flexible booking options for your flight to Cairns ? Don’t worry, Cheapflights have you covered. Use our search filter to only show flights with no change fees.

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$124+ Cheap flights to Cairns

This is the cheapest one-way flight price found by a Cheapflights user in the last 72 hours by searching for a flight departing on 20/2. Fares are subject to change and may not be available on all flights or dates of travel.

Flights to Cairns in 2025

Find the latest flights to Cairns in 2025, with up-to-date prices and availability. In the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made a total of 647,157 searches and data was last updated on 17 January 2025.

Return from

One-way from

Popular in

Cheapest in

Average price

Find flight deals to Cairns

Cheapest flights to CairnsExplore the most affordable flight options available to Cairns. Find the lowest fares based on data from user searches, with prices last updated on 17 January 2025.

Explore the most affordable flight options available to Cairns. Find the lowest fares based on data from user searches, with prices last updated on 17 January 2025.

Find flights to Cairns within your budget

Locate flights to Cairns that fit your budget, with regularly updated fares and availability. In the last 7 days, Cheapflights users made a total of 647,157 searches and data was last updated on 17 January 2025.

Best time to book a flight to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns with our price prediction graph.

Travel insights for flights to Cairns

Get recent, data-driven insights about flights to Cairns including ideal travel times, pricing trends, and more.

When is the best time to book a flight to Cairns?

Use this chart to determine the optimal time to book a return flight from Sydney to Cairns. Price data was last updated on 10 January 2025.

How long is the flight to Cairns?

When is the cheapest time to fly to Cairns?

Use this chart to determine the cheapest time to fly return from Sydney to Cairns. Price data was last updated on 16 December 2024.

Weekly flight availability to Cairns

What are the most popular airlines that fly to Cairns?

What are the cheapest airlines that fly to Cairns?

Rainfall in Cairns by month

Plan your trip to Cairns by taking into account the average rainfall totals by month.

Temperature in Cairns by month

Plan your trip to Cairns by taking into account the average temperature totals by month.

Reviews of airlines servicing Cairns

Read reviews from past customers who have flown Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways to Cairns. In addition to providing an overall rating, users have also rated airlines in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.

What airport do you fly into for flights to Cairns?

Can I find cheaper flights to Cairns if I am willing to have stopovers?

What is the best airline to fly to Cairns?

What is the cheapest airport to fly to in Cairns?

How much is a return flight to Cairns?

Where does the fastest flight to Cairns depart from?

Does Cairns have car hire?

Are there hotels close to Cairns?

Travelling to a place near Cairns?

Browse thousands of different options on Cheapflights for your next trip

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Some of the lowest fares we’ve come across for flights to Cairns.

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How does Cheapflights help users find flights to Cairns?

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets to Cairns?

Can Cheapflights find flights to Cairns with no change fees?

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights to Cairns become cheaper?

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Cheapest flights to Cairns
Explore the most affordable flight options available to Cairns. Find the lowest fares based on data from user searches, with prices last updated on 17 January 2025.