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 23 flights from Sydney to Cairns per day from 3 different airlines.

What is the cheapest month to fly to Cairns?

Currently, February 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 $82, while return flights cost around $77.

How much is a return flight to Cairns?

A return flight to Cairns will typically cost around $705, however they can be found for as little as $49.

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 (0 hours 55 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).

$107+ Flights to Cairns, Australia

Flights to Cairns in 2025

Return from	$207
One-way from	$107
Popular in	December
Cheapest in	May
Average price	$290
Good round-trip deal	$226 or less
Good one-way deal	$133 or less

Jetstar
6/4-8/4
Nonstop
6h 00m total
Sydney to Cairns

Search Deals

Jetstar
22/3
Nonstop
3h 00m total
Sydney to Cairns

Search Deals

Highest demand for flights based on searches. 10% potential increase in price ($59 potential increase over avg. return price).

Search Deals

Cheapest flight prices on average. 3% potential price decrease ($18 potential savings vs. average return price).

Search Deals

Average for return flights in February 2025

Search Deals

Price to beat on a round-trip flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns.

Search Deals

Price to beat on a one-way flight from Sydney Kingsford Smith to Cairns.

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 21 February 2025.

Sun 6/406:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mJetstar

Tue 8/419:00CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mJetstar

Deal found 20/2$207

Thu 1/506:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mMultiple Airlines

Wed 7/516:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 20/2$257

Tue 16/912:40SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 15mVirgin Australia

Thu 25/919:15CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mVirgin Australia

Deal found 20/2$306

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 21 February 2025.

Sun 6/406:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mJetstar

Tue 8/419:00CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mJetstar

Deal found 20/2$207

Thu 1/506:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mMultiple Airlines

Wed 7/516:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 20/2$257

Tue 15/715:20SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 15mVirgin Australia

Fri 18/719:15CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mVirgin Australia

Deal found 20/2$331

Mon 5/513:20SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 10mQantas Airways

Tue 13/508:00CNS - SYD

1 stop10h 25mQantas Airways

Deal found 19/2$484

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 21 February 2025.

Sun 6/406:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mJetstar

Tue 8/419:00CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mJetstar

Deal found 20/2$207

Thu 1/506:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mMultiple Airlines

Wed 7/516:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 20/2$257

Thu 27/208:05SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mVirgin Australia

Sun 2/315:45CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 20/2$323

Last-minute flights to Cairns
Discover last-minute flight deals to Cairns. Data last updated 21 February 2025 and is based on user searches.

Sat 22/207:30SYD - CNS

1 stop4h 30mMultiple Airlines

Sat 1/318:20CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 20/2$306

Thu 27/206:00SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Sun 2/306:40CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 20/2$210

Thu 27/207:00SYD - CNS

1 stop5h 00mVirgin Australia

Mon 3/309:15CNS - SYD

1 stop4h 25mVirgin Australia

Deal found 20/2$394

Thu 27/206:05SYD - CNS

1 stop12h 55mQantas Airways

Sun 2/310:00CNS - SYD

1 stop7h 25mQantas Airways

Deal found 20/2$1,157

Thu 27/219:15SYD - CNS

2 stops19h 40mAir New Zealand

Sun 2/312:50CNS - SYD

2 stops18h 55mAir New Zealand

Deal found 20/2$2,507

Fri 28/208:30SYD - CNS

1 stop15h 45mMultiple Airlines

Sun 2/306:40CNS - SYD

Nonstop3h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 20/2$309

Thu 6/311:05SYD - CNS

1 stop7h 55mQantas Airways

Thu 20/312:35CNS - SYD

Nonstop2h 55mQantas Airways

Deal found 20/2$638

Mon 10/308:05SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 05mVirgin Australia

Mon 17/314:40CNS - SYD

1 stop5h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 21/2$353

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 21 February 2025.

Sat 22/315:35SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 00mJetstar

Deal found 20/2$107

Tue 12/808:10SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 15mVirgin Australia

Deal found 20/2$149

Mon 18/813:35SYD - CNS

Nonstop3h 10mQantas Airways

Deal found 20/2$220

Sat 12/421:20SYD - CNS

2 stops15h 50mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 20/2$342

Fri 14/308:45SYD - CNS

2 stops28h 20mEmirates

Deal found 20/2$843

Fri 16/517:55SYD - CNS

2 stops19h 50mAir New Zealand

Deal found 20/2$936

Find flights to Cairns within your budget

Fly from

Route

Depart

Return

Price

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 6/4

06:10-09:15

Nonstop3h 05m

Cairns

Tue 8/4

19:00-21:55

Nonstop2h 55m

$207

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 1/5

06:10-09:15

Nonstop3h 05m

Cairns

Wed 7/5

16:35-19:30

Nonstop2h 55m

$257

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Fri 4/4

07:50-10:05

Nonstop3h 15m

Cairns

Sun 6/4

09:20-13:40

1 stop4h 20m

$343

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Mon 5/5

13:20-16:30

Nonstop3h 10m

Cairns

Tue 13/5

08:00-18:25

1 stop10h 25m

$484

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Tue 25/2

06:00-08:00

Nonstop3h 00m

$107

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Thu 27/2

07:00-11:00

1 stop5h 00m

$191

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sun 4/5

09:00-17:50

1 stop8h 50m

$276

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Sat 12/4

21:20-13:10

2 stops15h 50m

$342

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Fri 14/3

08:45-12:05

2 stops28h 20m

$843

SydneyCairns

SYD - CNS

SYDCNS

Sydney Kingsford Smith

Fri 16/5

17:55-13:45

2 stops19h 50m

$936

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 20/2

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 60 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 Thursday evenings, when prices are usually at their highest.

Weekly flight availability to Cairns

The most flights from Sydney to Cairns are scheduled on a Thursday (33 on average). You will have fewer flight options on Sunday, which is when the least amount of flights are scheduled (18 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 $127

Qantas Airways

From $171

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 Emirates, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia 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

3,276 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Anonymous,June 2024

DXB - IAH

It was not a good experience the seats were small and uncomfortable the food was not good and they forgot to serve me my breakfast - there were 5 us in 2 rows that they just completely skipped us. Very disappointed.

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,276 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,276 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Anonymous,June 2024

DXB - IAH

Air New Zealand

7.9

Good

460 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,276 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Anonymous,June 2024

DXB - IAH

Virgin Australia

7.5

Good

417 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,276 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Anonymous,June 2024

DXB - IAH

Qantas Airways

7.4

Good

813 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,276 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Anonymous,June 2024

DXB - IAH

Jetstar

6.6

Okay

444 reviews

Emirates

8.1

Very Good

3,276 reviews

Check prices

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Anonymous,June 2024

DXB - IAH

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 23 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 $82, while return flights cost around $77.
How much is a return flight to Cairns?
A return flight to Cairns will typically cost around $705, however they can be found for as little as $49.
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 (0 hours 55 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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$107+ 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 22/3. 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 21 February 2025.

Return from

One-way from

Popular in

Cheapest in

Average price

Good round-trip deal

Good one-way deal

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 21 February 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 21 February 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 21 February 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 14 February 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 February 2025.

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 Emirates, Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia 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 21 February 2025.