83€ Find Cheap Flights from Melbourne to Cairns – Compare and Save

Yes – if you are considering booking a hotel close to the airport, check out The Lakes Cairns Resort & Spa or the Comfort Inn Discovery Cairns. Both of them are located a few minutes’ drive from the airport and provide transfers for an additional fee. For those who are travelling on a budget, Calypso Inn Backpackers Resort near the terminal building might be a better option.

Yes, you can choose from six car rental companies with counters in the Arrivals Hall at Cairns Airport. It is possible to check the full list of companies on the airport website and contact them to make all the necessary arrangements before your flight from Melbourne to Cairns.

Yes, there are a number of shops operating at the airport in Cairns, which between them sell a wide range of products. You will easily find snacks, travel accessories, cosmetics, reading material, souvenirs, electronics and some items of clothing.

The most convenient option for getting to your final destination from the airport is to book a hotel that offers airport transfers, but if this is not possible you can use the Sun Palm shuttle, which will drop you off in front of your hotel. To book the shuttle, simply look for the Sun Palm welcome desks at the airport. Passengers who prefer public transportation can catch the Airport Connect bus (a ticket costs $6) and then connect to a Translink bus costing around $2.

Among airlines operating Melbourne Airport to Cairns flights:

• Virgin Australia: offers free seat selection

Extra legroom and free seat selection availability depends on fare class and route.

3 airlines operate flights between Melbourne Airport and Cairns. The airlines offering direct flights on this route include:

• Jetstar
• Virgin Australia
• Qantas Airways

Flights from Melbourne Airport to Cairns usually depart from Melbourne (MEL) and arrive at Cairns (CNS).

Here are some options for this route, based on selected ticket types and cabin classes:

• Jetstar: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Virgin Australia: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class
• Qantas Airways: a cabin bag and a checked bag in Economy class

Bag allowance can vary by ticket type, cabin class, route, and airline, so travellers should check the fare details before booking.

Only Economy class is available on flights from Melbourne Airport to Cairns.

On this route, direct flights are cheaper than stopover options on average. Direct fares average 210 € return, compared with 322 € via a stopover through Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD).

There is no standard. Checked bag policies vary by airline on this route. Most carriers charge 19 €–86 € for the first checked bag in Economy. Premium fares and elite status bookings typically include a free checked bag.

The Boeing 737-800 Passenger/BBJ2 (winglets) family is used most often on this route, operated mainly by Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways. Other aircraft seen on the route include Airbus A320-100/200 variants.

Connecting flights from Melbourne Airport to Cairns most commonly pass through:

• Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) – 54% of one-stop connections
• Brisbane (BNE) – 46% of one-stop connections
Together, these airports account for 100% of one-stop bookings on this route.

Yes. Being flexible with your travel dates can save you up to 12% on the Melbourne Airport to Cairns route. Wednesday is the cheapest departure day at 200 € return on average, while Friday is the most expensive at 225 €, a difference of 25 €. KAYAK's flexible dates feature shows options up to 3 days before and after your selected dates, making it easier to compare nearby fares.

A flight is considered delayed when it departs 15 minutes or more after its scheduled time. This is the standard used by the US Department of Transportation and most airline industry reporting. On the Melbourne Airport to Cairns route, 20% of flights were delayed in the past 3 months, with delays averaging 1 hour 40 minutes.

Morning is the busiest departure period on Melbourne Airport to Cairns flights, with 58% leaving in that window. Afternoon departures account for 28%, Evening flights for 14%, and Night flights for 0%.

These are the earliest and latest flight times available from Melbourne Airport to Cairns:

• Earliest: departs at 6:05 and lands at 9:28
• Latest: departs at 20:05 and lands at 23:28.

The flight takes about 3h 23m.

Last-minute fares on this route (booked within 2 weeks of departure) run 18% above the route average of 214 €. Book 13 weeks before departure for the lowest fares.

A direct flight from Melbourne Airport to Cairns takes 3h 23m, covering 3.719 km.

No. A passport is not required for this domestic route, but you will need a real ID-compliant driver's license, a state ID, or another TSA-accepted form of identification.

Yes. Based on fares seen in the past 5 days, return flight prices on this route showed a wide range, from about 154 € to 938 €. That means the highest observed fare was about 6x higher than the lowest one.

One-way fares from Melbourne Airport to Cairns are currently lower than usual. Average one-way flight prices are about 115 €, which is 11% below the typical average for this route.

Virgin Australia is slightly above the route average for timely arrivals, while Qantas Airways has a lower on-time arrival rate. On-time arrival rates on Melbourne Airport to Cairns flights are:

• Virgin Australia: 88% on time
• Qantas Airways: 87% on time
• Jetstar: 73% on time

On average, flights on this route are punctual 80% of the time.

Morning flights have the fewest delays on this route. Delays tend to pile up throughout the day as one late flight pushes the next, so earlier departures are usually more reliable.

Flying via Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) gives the shortest average 1-stop total travel time of 6h 35m, compared to 7h 23m via Brisbane (BNE).

Cairns Airport (CNS) hosts 5 major car hire companies, with daily rates starting from around 11 € for economy cars. Top options include:
• Bargain Car Rentals
• East Coast Car Rentals
• Simba Car Hire
• Ace Rental Cars
• Budget

Return flights from Melbourne Airport to Cairns range from 166 € to 283 €, with an average of 214 € over the past 12 months. Anything below 166 € counts as a good deal.