Cheap Flights to Cairns Airport

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Flight deals to Cairns

Looking for a cheap last-minute deal or the best return flight to Cairns? Find the lowest prices on one-way and return tickets right here.

Find the cheapest time to fly to Cairns

Flexible on travel dates? Find the cheapest month – or even day – to fly to Cairns.

Airports near Cairns

Compare routes to Cairns below. You may find an airport to fly into that's cheaper, faster, or easier.

Direct flights to Cairns

Frequently asked questions

Qantas, Air New Zealand, IndiGo, Jetstar, Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia, Alliance Airlines and Emirates all fly direct to Cairns.
The cheapest month to fly to Cairns is usually November.
We show every price from over 1,200 airlines and travel agents, comparing them all so you don’t have to. If you know you want to fly to Cairns but you’re not ready to book, set up a Price Alert. We’ll track prices for you, and let you know when they rise or fall.
Yes – the average flight time is 2 hours and 3 minutes.
The best price we found for a return flight to Cairns is $171. This is an estimate based on information collected from different airlines and travel providers over the last 4 days and is subject to change and availability.
After crunching the numbers on our flight calendar, we found that the cheapest date to fly to Cairns Airport is Wednesday, 12 November 2025.
We crunched all the numbers in our flight calendar and it looks like the cheapest time to book a flight to Cairns is around 40 days in advance, so don’t leave your flight to the last minute.
Currently, Jetstar offers the cheapest flight tickets to Cairns.

Flying to Cairns

The things to know before you go.
Cheapest flight found$84
Cheapest month to flyOctober
Average flight time2 hrs, 5 mins
Most popular airlineQantas
Average flights per week1,075

Discover Cairns

How to find cheap flights to Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • Currently, $84 is the lowest price for a one-way flight to Cairns Airport. Or you can book a round-trip plane ticket to CNS for $171.

  • Book when the time is right with Price Alerts. You'll receive an email or a notification on the app if the price of tickets to CNS goes up or down.

  • The sooner you book, the better. You might even be able to find some awesome early bird deals on tickets to Cairns, where Cairns Airport is located.

  • Select 'Add nearby airports' during your search to boost your chances of securing cheap flights to Cairns. Doing this will give you more options for where to start and end your journey, as well as different fares.

  • Search for plane tickets to Cairns Airport that have a stop or two. Routes with stops tend to be less expensive. After your results appear, use the 'Stops' filter to explore your options.

Best time to go to Cairns

  • May is typically the cheapest month to board a flight to Cairns.

  • Take advantage of the 'Whole month' tool if you're flexible with your dates. Browse fares for the entire month and find a flight to CNS that fits your budget and itinerary.

  • If you want to experience Cairns at its busiest, book your flights to CNS for July. Being on holiday during peak seasons often means there's more to see and do than at other times.

  • Travel in February if you prefer to travel with fewer crowds. This is the quietest period of the year and also when plane tickets to Cairns are typically more affordable.

  • With averages of between 23ºC (73ºF) and 31ºC (88ºF), January is when Cairns is warmest. Organise your visit around your weather preferences to make the most of your trip.

  • August sees the lowest temperatures, ranging from about 16ºC (61ºF) to 25ºC (77ºF).

  • With one day of rain on average, September is the driest month in Cairns.

  • The wettest time of year is January. Plan your getaway then and you'll likely get around 17 days of rainfall.

Travelling to Cairns Airport (CNS): What you need to know

  • Skip the layovers and travel to Cairns in a single journey. Lock in a direct flight to Cairns Airport with one of these top airlines:

  • Consider booking your CNS plane ticket with Alliance Airlines. It's the top performer for punctuality, with up to 100% of flights into this airport arriving on time.

  • You'll be touching down in the UTC+10 timezone at CNS.

  • Be curled up in bed shortly after your flight to CNS. Choose one of these stays close to Cairns Airport and you'll be snoozing in no time:

  • Start your trip to Cairns sooner by picking up a car hire in CNS. simba car hire, Bargain Car Rentals and East Coast are major names to take your pick of here.

  • Cairns Airport has an on-time rating of 72%, which is based on the arrival performance of departing flights. This can be useful to know if you're catching a tight connecting flight or need to be somewhere soon after you land.

  • Cairns Airport is located in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

Getting to central Cairns from Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • The distance from CNS to central Cairns is about 6 kilometres.

  • After touching down from your flight to CNS, the drive to the centre takes around 10 minutes.

  • Expect the ride to take roughly 1 hour 25 minutes on public transport.

  • If you want to stay close to all the action in Cairns, book a room at one of these comfortable hotels:

Cairns highlights

  • These popular sights should be on your itinerary after stepping off your flight to Cairns:

    • Great Barrier Reef: Located around 0.64 kilometres south of the city centre, this landmark is an ideal spot to start your sightseeing around the city.

    • Cairns Esplanade Healing Gardens Playground: You'll discover this park roughly 0.48 kilometres north-west of the centre. Take some time out and watch the world go by in this corner of Cairns.

    • Great Barrier Reef Liveaboard: Hit up this landmark next. Around 0.48 kilometres south of the city centre, it's worth checking out to get the full Cairns experience.

How to get to Mareeba from Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • The nearby city of Mareeba is about 56 kilometres from CNS. The drive to the centre in a cab or ride-share will take around 55 minutes.

Travelling from Cairns Airport (CNS) to Port Douglas

  • If Port Douglas is your chosen stop, it's around 56 kilometres from Cairns Airport.

  • Travelling there by car will take you roughly 1 hour.

Explore more of Australia

  • Craving more adventure? Townsville will add more excitement to your journey through Australia. It's about 290 kilometres south-east of Cairns and features Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Reef HQ and Botanic Gardens. The closest airport to this city is Townsville Airport (TSV).

  • Mareeba is another popular destination in Australia and is roughly 40 kilometres west of Cairns. Get right to the good parts at attractions like Raging Thunder Adventures, Mareeba Tropical Savannah and Wetland Reserve and Jaques Coffee Plantation.

  • Roughly 14 kilometres south of Cairns, Edmonton is worth working into your travels. Good reasons to visit include Petersen Park Cairns, Griffin Park and Fuller Park.

Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest prices only. Found in the last 45 days.