Cairns Airport

Cairns Airport is in Aeroglen, about 7 km (4 miles) north of the Cairns city center, off Sheridan Street and the Captain Cook Highway. The drive to the center and the Esplanade usually takes about 10 minutes. Taxis, ride-share cars, the Exemplar shuttle and pre-booked transfers leave from outside both terminals.

Port Douglas is about 66 km north of Cairns Airport, roughly an hour's drive along the Captain Cook Highway. Exemplar Coaches runs a shared shuttle from its desks in the T1 and T2 arrivals halls, which stops at several hotels and takes longer. A private transfer or a hire car takes you straight there.

Palm Cove is about 25 km north of Cairns Airport, around 25 minutes by car along the Captain Cook Highway past the Northern Beaches. The Exemplar shuttle serves Palm Cove from both terminals, and taxis, ride-share cars and pre-booked transfers go door to door to the resorts on Williams Esplanade.

Cairns Airport has two terminals about 200 m apart. T1 handles international flights and T2 handles domestic and regional flights within Australia. You can walk between them in about 5 minutes by following the signs. Jetstar flies both domestic and international routes, so check your booking for the right terminal.

Yes. The airport's official name is Cairns Airport, code CNS, but many travelers and booking sites call it Cairns International Airport because it has an international terminal, T1. It is the only commercial airport for Cairns, so any flight to Cairns lands here, at T1 or T2.

The Queensland Government has announced route 100, a public bus every 30 minutes between the airport and the Cairns Lagoon via the city bus station, due to start by the end of 2026. Until it runs, the Exemplar shuttle, taxis, ride-share cars and pre-booked transfers are the ways into the city.

Each terminal has a sheltered taxi stand at the front of the building, signposted from arrivals, with a free intercom to the booking center. Cairns Taxis is the region's regulated taxi service, with sedans, maxi taxis and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Taxis cannot be pre-booked from the terminals, and fares are metered.

Ride-share pickup is outside International Arrivals at the eastern end of T1 and outside Domestic Arrivals at the northern end of T2. Look for the Ride Booking and Ride Share signs as you leave the terminal. Drop-off for departures is outside the check-in area of each terminal.

Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar fly to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, and Jetstar and QantasLink serve other Australian cities. Rex Airlines, Skytrans, Hinterland Aviation, Airnorth and Alliance Airlines fly regional routes. Singapore Airlines, Air Niugini, Fiji Airways and Jetstar fly internationally, and Air New Zealand flies seasonally to Auckland.

Every visitor except New Zealand citizens needs a visa or travel authority, such as an ETA or an eVisitor, before flying. On arrival at T1 you hand in an Incoming Passenger Card and declare any food, plant or animal products for biosecurity. Eligible ePassport holders aged 16 and over can use SmartGate at passport control.

Yes. The Qantas Club lounge is on Level 1 of the T2 Domestic departures area, open to Qantas Club members and eligible Qantas passengers under the airline's lounge rules. The airport lists no other lounge, so check with your airline for access on international flights from T1.

Cairns Airport has four parking lots: T1 International Covered and Uncovered, and T2 Domestic Covered and Uncovered, all beside the terminals. The covered parking lots are cyclone-rated, and every parking lot gives the first 10 minutes free for pick-ups and drop-offs. A free Standby Zone lets drivers wait up to 30 minutes.

Cairns uses Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10) all year, because Queensland does not use daylight saving. From October to April, Cairns is one hour behind Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, so check the local arrival and departure times on your ticket, especially on connecting flights.