Flights from Melbourne Flights to Cairns

Direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns

Did you mean flights from Cairns to Melbourne?

Last updated on: 04-01-2026

Melbourne

Australia

MEL

Melbourne Airport

Cairns

Australia

CNS

Cairns International Airport

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Flight schedule

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Distance

1,437 miles · (2,313 km)

Flight time

3 hours and 15 minutes

Airlines

Jetstar
Qantas
Virgin Australia

Alliances

Oneworld
SkyTeam
Star Alliance

Classes

Economy
Premium Economy
Business Class
First Class

Aircrafts

Airbus A320-100/200
Airbus A321-100/200
Airbus A321neo
Airbus A330-200
Airbus A330-300
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Boeing 737-700 (winglets)
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)

Melbourne to Cairns Flight Schedule

Scan through all non-stop flights from Melbourne to Cairns. The full flight schedule below gives an overview of all non-stop flights from MEL to CNS, which includes the daily timetable of every operating airline for the upcoming 12 months.

Note: for airline-specific flight schedules, please scroll further down.

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Best time to visit Cairns

What is the best time to visit Cairns?

🌴 Tropical

Cairns is a tropical destination known for its warm climate, with temperatures between 25°C and 30°C (77°F to 86°F) throughout the year. The area is characterized by high humidity and frequent rainfall.

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Since Cairns is situated south of the equator, the dry season runs from May to October. This makes it the ideal time to visit. During these months, you can expect mostly dry weather, while the wet season can bring days of rain. Temperatures remain high year-round, along with high humidity levels.

Cairns

CNS

Airlines flying from Melbourne to Cairns

Airline-specific flight schedules from Melbourne to Cairns

In total there are 3 airlines operating nonstop flights from Melbourne MEL to Cairns CNS. This section gives an overview of the flight schedules and timetables of every airline with direct flights for this route.

Click an airline below to view their MEL CNS flight schedule.

Virgin Australia (VA)

Jetstar flight schedulefrom Melbourne to Cairns

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Qantas flight schedulefrom Melbourne to Cairns

Qantas is a member of Oneworld

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Virgin Australia flight schedulefrom Melbourne to Cairns

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Melbourne to Cairns Flights

Flights from MEL to CNS are operated 57 times a week, with an average of 8 flights per day. Departure times vary between 06:05 - 21:25. The earliest flight departs at 06:05, the last flight departs at 21:25. However, this depends on the date you are flying so please check with the full flight schedule above to see which departure times are available on your preferred date(s) of travel.

You can fly in Economy and Business Class. Premium Economy and First Class are not available on this route (at least not as a non-stop flight).

The fastest direct flight from Melbourne to Cairns takes 3 hours and 15 minutes. The flight distance between Melbourne and Cairns is 1,437 miles (or 2,313 km).

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Frequently asked questions - FAQ

How many airports are there in Cairns?

There is 1 airport in Cairns: Cairns International Airport (CNS).

How many flights per week are there from MEL to CNS?

There are 57 flights per week flying from Melbourne to Cairns (as of April 2026).

How long does it take to fly from Melbourne to Cairns?

3 hours and 15 minutes is the average flight time from Melbourne to Cairns.

How far is Cairns from Melbourne?

The distance from Melbourne to Cairns is 1,437 miles (2,313 kilometers).

What airlines fly nonstop from MEL airport to CNS airport?

Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia are flying nonstop from Melbourne to Cairns.

What alliances have direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns?

Oneworld is currently the only alliance flying nonstop from Melbourne to Cairns.

What classes are available from Melbourne to Cairns?

You can fly non-stop in Economy and Business Class.

What aircraft types fly from Melbourne to Cairns?

Aircraft types that fly from Melbourne to Cairns:

Airbus A320-100/200
Airbus A321-100/200
Airbus A321neo
Airbus A330-200
Airbus A330-300
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Boeing 737-700 (winglets)
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)

What is the earliest flight departing from Melbourne to Cairns?

The earliest flight departs at 06:05 from Melbourne and arrives at 08:30 at Cairns.

What is the latest flight available from Melbourne to Cairns?

The latest flight departs at 21:25 from Melbourne and arrives at 00:50 at Cairns.

Popular flights from Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne to Sydney

Melbourne to Brisbane

Melbourne to Adelaide

Melbourne to Gold Coast

Melbourne to Perth

Melbourne to Canberra

Melbourne to Hobart

Melbourne to Launceston

Melbourne to Singapore

Melbourne to Auckland

Melbourne to Denpasar

Melbourne to Mildura

Melbourne to Sunshine Coast

Melbourne to Cairns

Show all flights from Melbourne Show all flights to Cairns

Popular routes operated by Jetstar

Cairns to Sydney

Cairns to Brisbane

Cairns to Gold Coast

Cairns to Adelaide

Melbourne to Hobart

Cairns to Denpasar

Melbourne to Launceston

Show all Jetstar flights

Popular routes operated by Qantas

Cairns to Sydney

Cairns to Brisbane

Melbourne to Adelaide

Melbourne to Canberra

Melbourne to Perth

Cairns to Townsville

Melbourne to Auckland

Show all Qantas flights

Popular routes operated by Virgin Australia

Cairns to Sydney

Cairns to Brisbane

Cairns to Adelaide

Melbourne to Gold Coast

Melbourne to Perth

Melbourne to Canberra

Melbourne to Hobart

Show all Virgin Australia flights

Popular flights from Melbourne via Cairns

Melbourne to Bamaga

Melbourne to Aurukun

Melbourne to Cooktown

Melbourne to Coen

Melbourne to Pormpuraaw

Melbourne to Gove

Melbourne to Horn Island

Melbourne to Lockhart River

Melbourne to Mount Isa

Melbourne to Osaka

Melbourne to Kowanyama

Melbourne to Moranbah

Melbourne to Port Moresby

Melbourne to Weipa

Melbourne to Normanton

Melbourne to Mornington Island

Non-stop flights from MEL to CNS

1,437 miles (2,313 km) · 3h 15m

Round trip

1 passenger

Economy

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Return schedule

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Depart
Arrive
Airline
Flight no
Aircraft
Classes

06:05
08:30
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

06:25
08:45
Jetstar
JQ 34
Jetstar
Airbus A321neo
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:45
Jetstar
JQ 34
Jetstar
Airbus A321neo
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:50
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:50
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:50
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-700 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:50
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:50
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

06:25
09:50
Virgin Australia
VA 1291
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

08:25
10:50
Qantas

Oneworld
QF 702
Qantas
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

08:25
11:50
Qantas

Oneworld
QF 702
Qantas
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

08:35
11:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Y
W
J
F

08:35
11:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737 MAX 8
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:35
13:00
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

09:40
13:05
Virgin Australia
VA 1293
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

11:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

11:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

11:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

11:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

11:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

11:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

12:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

12:20
14:40
Jetstar
JQ 942
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

12:50
16:15
Qantas

Oneworld
QF 704
Qantas
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

12:50
16:15
Qantas

Oneworld
QF 704
Qantas
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

13:50
16:15
Qantas

Oneworld
QF 704
Qantas
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

15:55
18:15
Jetstar
JQ 944
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

15:55
19:15
Jetstar
JQ 944
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

15:55
19:15
Jetstar
JQ 944
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

15:55
19:15
Jetstar
JQ 944
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

15:55
19:15
Jetstar
JQ 944
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

15:55
19:15
Jetstar
JQ 944
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

16:45
19:10
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

16:45
19:10
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

16:45
19:10
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

16:55
20:20
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

16:55
20:20
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

16:55
20:20
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

16:55
20:20
Virgin Australia
VA 1297
Virgin Australia
Boeing 737-800 (winglets)
Y
W
J
F

17:25
19:50
Jetstar
JQ 948
Jetstar
Airbus A321-100/200
Y
W
J
F

17:25
20:50
Jetstar
JQ 948
Jetstar
Airbus A321-100/200
Y
W
J
F

19:15
22:40
Jetstar
JQ 946
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F

20:15
22:40
Jetstar
JQ 946
Jetstar
Airbus A320-100/200
Y
W
J
F