Cairns to Darwin (CNS–DRW) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

CNS Airport Page →
1,040 mi airlines charter/private 12/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 4 flights Verified 43m ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
✓
→
QF1980
QF Qant
E90
10:45 AM
AEST T2
12:55 PM
ACST
2h 40m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
→
QF1852
QF Qant
E90
2:40 PM
AEST T2
4:50 PM
ACST
2h 40m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
QF1889
QF Qant
E90
7:00 AM
ACST
10:00 AM
AEST
2h 30m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices
✓
←
QF1853
QF Qant
E90
1:30 PM
ACST
4:30 PM
AEST
2h 30m
—
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 9 hubs
TSV Townsville 5h 55m NZQFQN → QF Townsville (TSV) to Darwin flights
BNE Brisbane 7h 15m 6EACCX → 6ECXCZ Brisbane (BNE) to Darwin flights
ADL Adelaide 8h 25m 6EEKJQ → 6EEKJQ Adelaide (ADL) to Darwin flights
SYD Sydney (Mascot) 8h 30m 6EACAI → 6EFJJL Sydney (Mascot) (SYD) to Darwin flights
MEL Melbourne 9h 5m 6EAICX → 6EAICZ Melbourne (MEL) to Darwin flights
DPS Kuta, Badung 16h 45m JQKL → JQKLQF Kuta, Badung (DPS) to Darwin flights
SIN Singapore 21h 5m AILXNH → AIAYEK Singapore (SIN) to Darwin flights
PER Perth 26h 29m JQQF → CXEKMH Perth (PER) to Darwin flights
OOL Gold Coast ~8h 25m 6EJQQF → Gold Coast (OOL) to Darwin flights
✦ 1-STOP More options, longer trips
✧ 2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Cairns to Darwin
1 carrier, 12 flights/week nonstop.
1 Airlines 1,040 mi 2h 40m nonstop -0.5h behind

CNS–DRW is served by 1 airline with nonstop service. Qantas leads the route. The flight covers 1,040 miles in approximately 2h 40m. Beyond nonstop, 1-stop connecting options are also available.

Also explore CNS Routes DRW Routes CNS Live Flights DRW Live Flights
All flights from Darwin (DRW) Darwin to Cairns flights
Carriers on this route

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop CNS–DRW service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
QF Qantas 12 E90 2h40 – Oneworld –
Aircraft on this route
E90 Embraer 190 – QF
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: QF (12 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.
Schedule

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, CNS to DRW direction.
Mon
2
flights
Tue
2
flights
Wed
2
flights
Thu
1
flight
Fri
2
flights
Sat
2
flights
Sun
1
flight
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
2
Nonstop flights
12
Outbound / wk
12
Return / wk
Connections

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for CNS to DRW.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
9
Hubs
~5h
Fastest
~26h
Longest
TSV ~5h 55m BNE ~7h 15m OOL ~8h 25m ADL ~8h 25m SYD ~8h 30m
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
108
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.
Alternatives

Other ways to reach Darwin from Cairns

Nearby airports with service to Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin.
Metric CNS→DRW TSV→DRW
Distance from CNS – 177 mi
Nonstop airlines 1 1
Weekly flights 12 3
Flight time 2h 40m 3h
Townsville (TSV) to Darwin flights
Airports within 200 miles of CNS with service to Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin.
Know before you go

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
-0.5h
Darwin is 0.5 hours behind Cairns.
CNS: AEST · DRW: ACST

When it's 6:00 PM in Cairns, it's 5.5:00 PM in Darwin.
Distance & Flight Time
1,040 mi / 1,674 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 2h 40m gate to gate.
Facts

CNS–DRW Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Cairns to Darwin route.
Route details
Distance1,040 mi / 1,674 km
Flight time2h 40m
Time difference-0.5 hours
Airlines (nonstop)1
Weekly flights12 out / 12 return
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: CNS
Full nameCairns International Airport
IATA / ICAOCNS / YBCS
TimezoneAustralia/Brisbane
Passengers/yr5.0M
Elevation10 ft / 3 m
Destination: DRW
Full nameDarwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin
IATA / ICAODRW / YPDN
TimezoneAustralia/Darwin
Passengers/yr1.8M
Elevation103 ft / 31 m
FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about CNS to DRW flights.
Nonstop flights from Cairns International Airport to Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin take about 2h 40m gate to gate. The route covers 1,040 miles.
1 airline operates flights from CNS to DRW: Qantas.
This route has daily service. Check the schedule above for departure days and times in each direction.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Townsville, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Darwin is 0.5 hours behind Cairns.
Yes, return flights from DRW to CNS are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include TSV. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from CNS to DRW

Cairns International Airport (CNS) and Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW) are connected by nonstop service from Qantas. With 12 weekly departures, this is a regularly served route.

CNS to DRW Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from CNS to DRW is about 2 hours 40 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 1,040 miles (1,674 km). There are approximately 12 weekly flights outbound and 12 return, totaling 24 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Townsville, Brisbane and Adelaide. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Townsville (TSV).