Townsville to Cairns (TSV–CNS) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

TSV Airport Page →
177 mi airlines 38/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Flight Schedule 20 flights Verified 24m ago
Nonstop 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop
QF2346+1
QF Qant
DH4
7:00 AM
AEST
8:00 AM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF7321
QF Qant
32X
7:20 AM
AEST
8:05 AM
AEST
0h 45m
M T W T F S S
Prices
ZL5424
ZL Regional Express
SF3
10:05 AM
AEST
11:10 AM
AEST
1h 5m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2350
QF Qant
DH4
10:20 AM
AEST
11:20 AM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2344
QF Qant
DH4
11:50 AM
AEST
12:50 PM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QN712
QN Skytrans Australia
DH1
12:35 PM
AEST
1:30 PM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2354+1
QF Qant
DH4
1:00 PM
AEST
2:00 PM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2370
QF Qant
DH4
2:55 PM
AEST
3:55 PM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QN795
QN Skytrans Australia
DH3
3:10 PM
AEST
4:10 PM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2352+1
QF Qant
DH4
5:40 PM
AEST
6:40 PM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2358+1
QF Qant
DH4
6:35 PM
AEST
7:35 PM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2355+1
QF Qant
DH4
6:45 AM
AEST T2
7:40 AM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2347
QF Qant
DH4
8:00 AM
AEST T2
8:55 AM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QN711
QN Skytrans Australia
DH1
8:00 AM
AEST T2
9:00 AM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
ZL5423
ZL Regional Express
SF3
8:05 AM
AEST T2
9:05 AM
AEST
1h
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2349+1
QF Qant
DH4
11:00 AM
AEST T2
11:55 AM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2357+1
QF Qant
DH4
2:55 PM
AEST T2
3:50 PM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2351+1
QF Qant
DH4
6:00 PM
AEST T2
6:55 PM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QF2359
QF Qant
DH4
7:05 PM
AEST T2
8:00 PM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices
QN796
QN Skytrans Australia
DH3
9:05 PM
AEST T2
10:00 PM
AEST
0h 55m
M T W T F S S
Prices

No flights match your filters.

No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
Townsville to Cairns
3 carriers, 38 flights/week nonstop.
3 Airlines 38 Flights/wk 177 mi 0h 45m nonstop 6 1-stop hubs

TSV–CNS is served by 3 airlines with nonstop service. Qantas, Skytrans Australia and Regional Express lead the route. The flight covers 177 miles in approximately 0h 45m. Beyond nonstop, 6 hubs offer 1-stop connections.

Airline Landscape

All carriers operating nonstop TSV–CNS service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
QF Qantas 34 32X, DH4 0h45-1h Oneworld
QN Skytrans Australia 3 DH1, DH3 0h55-1h
ZL Regional Express 1 SF3 1h05
Aircraft on this route
32X Airbus A320 (Sharklets) – QF
DH1 De Havilland Canada DHC-8-100 Dash 8 / 8Q – QN
DH3 De Havilland Canada DHC-8-300 Dash 8 – QN
DH4 De Havilland Canada DHC-8-400 Dash 8Q – QF
SF3 Saab SF340A/B – ZL
Alliance coverage
Oneworld: QF (34 flights/wk, 89%)
Unaffiliated: QN + ZL (4 flights/wk, 11%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Weekly Schedule Pattern

Nonstop flight frequency by day of week, TSV to CNS direction.
Mon
4
flights
Tue
5
flights
Wed
8
flights
Thu
7
flights
Fri
6
flights
Sat
4
flights
Sun
4
flights
Departure time distribution
12 AM6 AM12 PM6 PM12 AM
Morning departures
Afternoon/evening departures
11
Nonstop flights
38
Outbound / wk
31
Return / wk

Connection Landscape

Beyond nonstop. 1-stop and 2-stop options for TSV to CNS.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
6
Hubs
~6h
Fastest
~26h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
51
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.

Other ways to reach Cairns from Townsville

Nearby airports with service to Cairns International Airport.
Metric TSV→CNS PPP→CNS
Distance from TSV 144 mi
Nonstop airlines 3 2
Weekly flights 38 6
Flight time 0h 45m 1h 25m
Airports within 200 miles of TSV with service to Cairns International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
0h
Cairns is 0 hours the same as Townsville.
TSV: AEST · CNS: AEST

When it's 6:00 PM in Townsville, it's 6:00 PM in Cairns.
Distance & Flight Time
177 mi / 285 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 0h 45m to 1h 5m.

TSV–CNS Quick Facts

Key statistics for the Townsville to Cairns route.
Route details
Distance177 mi / 285 km
Flight time0h 45m to 1h 5m
Time difference0 hours
Airlines (nonstop)3
Weekly flights38 out / 31 return
1-stop connections6 hubs
Origin: TSV
IATA / ICAOTSV / YBTL
TimezoneAustralia/Brisbane
Elevation18 ft / 5 m
Destination: CNS
IATA / ICAOCNS / YBCS
TimezoneAustralia/Brisbane
Passengers/yr5.0M
Elevation10 ft / 3 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about TSV to CNS flights.
Nonstop flights from Townsville Airport / RAAF Base Townsville to Cairns International Airport take approximately 0h 45m to 1h 5m. The route covers 177 miles.
3 airlines operate nonstop service: Qantas, Skytrans Australia and Regional Express.
There are approximately 38 nonstop flights per week from TSV to CNS. The return direction has about 31 weekly flights.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available through HID, ISA, MEL, BNE, SYD and CNJ. These options provide additional schedule flexibility.
Yes, return flights from CNS to TSV are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include PPP. 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 TSV to CNS

Townsville Airport / RAAF Base Townsville (TSV) and Cairns International Airport (CNS) are connected by nonstop service from Qantas, Skytrans Australia and Regional Express. With 38 weekly departures, this is a heavily served route.

TSV to CNS Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from TSV to CNS ranges from 0 hours 45 minutes to 1 hours 5 minutes. The route covers a distance of 177 miles (285 km). There are approximately 38 weekly flights outbound and 31 return, totaling 69 flights per week in both directions.

Connecting Options and Alternatives

6 one-stop connections are available, with the fastest taking approximately 6 hours via HID. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include Proserpine (PPP).