Cairns Airport | |||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Public | ||||||||||
| Operator | North Queensland Airports Group | ||||||||||
| Serves | Cairns | ||||||||||
| Location | Aeroglen, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||
| Hub for | ASL Airlines Australia | ||||||||||
| Operating base for | |||||||||||
| Elevation AMSL | 10 ft / 3 m | ||||||||||
| Coordinates | 16°53′09″S145°45′19″E / 16.88583°S 145.75528°E /-16.88583; 145.75528 | ||||||||||
| Website | cairnsairport | ||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||
 Interactive map of Cairns Airport | |||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Statistics | |||||||||||
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| Source:AIP[2] Enroute Supplement[3] passenger and aircraft movements from theBureau of Infrastructure & Transport Research Economics[4] | |||||||||||
Cairns Airport (IATA:CNS,ICAO:YBCS) is aninternational airport inCairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by theCairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is theseventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located 2.3nautical miles (4.3 km; 2.6 mi) north northwest[3] of Cairns or 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of the Cairns central business district, in the suburb ofAeroglen. The airport lies between Mount Whitfield to the west andTrinity Bay to the east.
The airport hasdirect flights to 10 international and 27 domestic destinations and manygeneral aviation flights including a number ofhelicopter operators. Flights are operated to all major Australian cities and tourist destinations, regional communities inFar North Queensland, and a number of international destinations in the Asia-Pacific region with connections to the rest of the world. The airport formed the main base forAustralian Airlines prior to its ceasing of operations in June 2006 (the airport remains a major port for parent companyQantas). It is also a base for theRoyal Flying Doctor Service and thesearch and rescue helicopters of theQueensland Government.[5] Cairns Airport served over 4.8 million passengers in the financial year of 2024.[1]
DuringWorld War II, the Australian Government bought the airport for use by theRoyal Australian Air Force. In 1943, the main runway was hard surfaced and lengthened to handle military aircraft. It was also used by theUnited States Army Air Forces as a transport base, with the 33d Troop Carrier Squadron (374th Troop Carrier Group) operating from the base during 1942. In 1949, the main runway was lengthened to 1,730 m (5,680 ft) to accommodate larger aircraft. During the mid-1960s, the airport was upgraded and the runway further lengthened to 2,020 m (6,630 ft) and strengthened so jets could land.
During the 1970s, Australia's two domestic airlinesTrans Australia Airlines andAnsett provided regular scheduled services to most Australian capital cities and also Papua New Guinea, while in 1975Air Niugini became the first international airline to commence flights out of Cairns, to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea. In 1982, redevelopment of the airport commenced. This involved further lengthening of the runway to 2,600 m (8,500 ft) (making it the longest runway in Queensland) and construction of a new terminal building. The first stage of the redevelopment was finished in 1984 and a dual International and Domestic Terminal was opened. At the end of the decade the second stage of redevelopment was completed. This included a new separate International Terminal, associated aprons and taxiways, costing an estimated $80 million. The main runway was again extended, to 3,196 m (10,486 ft). The third stage of redevelopment was completed in 1997, during which a three-storey Airport Administration Centre was constructed providing 4,000 m2 (43,000 sq ft) of office space.[6]
A$200 million redevelopment of the Domestic Terminal started in August 2007 and was completed in 2010.[7] Check-in facilities were expanded into a common-user facility for all airlines, and the building enlarged. Five new jet bridges replaced the existing three old bridges. In January 2010, Auckland International Airport Limited announced that it had purchased 24.6 per cent of North Queensland Airports (NQA), operator of the airports at Cairns and Mackay, for about $132 million.[8]
A further upgrade of the Domestic Terminal commenced in 2019 and was completed in August 2020, at a total cost of $55 million.[9][10][11] The main purpose of the upgrade was to prepare the terminal to handle the domestic portion of the airport's projected 6 million passengers annually from 2027.[9] The floor area of the departure hall was increased to 10,000 m2 (110,000 sq ft), and an additional 2,000 m2 (22,000 sq ft) of dining and retail facilities were added.[9] The upgrade also included expanded seating areas, a new interactive children's play screen, an upgraded Parenting Room, and a new Quiet Room.[10]
Prior to theCOVID-19 pandemic, chief aviation officer Luis Perez told theThe Cairns Post the airport was in talks with approximately 22 airlines to connect Cairns to destinations, such as North America, The Republic of Korea, Taipei, Malaysia, the Middle East, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.[12]
Virgin Australia launched daily direct service toTokyo-Haneda on 28 June 2023 with the newly arrived Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet.[13][14]
In early 2023, it was announced that the International Terminal (Terminal 1) would undergo its first major upgrade in April 2023 to a value of AUD$40–50 million.[15] The announced upgrades would be rolled out in stages to 'minimise passenger disruptions', the first of which would feature the installation of four new glass air-bridges and the re-cladding of the exterior of the building.
In December 2023, the airport was affected byTropical Cyclone Jasper forcing it to close for several days.[16][17] In March 2024, it was announced that both Cairns and Mackay Airports would run on 100% renewable energy sources from 2025.[18][17][needs update]
The airport has two passengerterminals on the eastern side of the airport on reclaimedmangrove swamp. They are approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) north of the Cairns Central Shopping Centre and situated on Airport Avenue off Sheridan Street (Captain Cook Highway). The terminals are in separate buildings 200 m (660 ft) from one another. The Domestic Terminal is number 2, and has fivejet bridges and 17 gates. The International Terminal is number 1, and has six jet bridges and ten gates in total.[19]
A large and dedicated air-freight terminal termed the: 'Cairns Regional Trade Distribution Centre' was announced by the Queensland State Government Ministers in 2022. This facility will feature a 2400 square meter freight logistics hub and aim to improve the AU$40.4 million in food and agricultural exports through the airport.[20][21] This is situated partially atop the former general aviation runway 12/30.
The airport has a single runway (15/33) which is 3,156 m (10,354 ft) long. The flight path to the north of the main runway is located directly overhead Cairns' northern beach suburbs. The flight path to the south is located directly over central Cairns. A smaller (925 m (3,035 ft)) runway 12/30 that was used forgeneral aviation lies to the east; its final approach crossed the main runway. As of April 2011 this runway was closed and had been converted to a helipad area before the freight terminal's construction.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Qantas Freight[44] | Brisbane,Melbourne,Sydney,Townsville |
There are operators of emergency medical retrieval and rescue services based at the airport, includingEmergency Management Queensland and theRoyal Flying Doctor Service.
| Year | Domestic | International | Total | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1,915,717 | 688,058 | 2,603,775 |  –2.2% |
| 1999 | 2,022,908 | 660,659 | 2,683,567 |  3.1% |
| 2000 | 2,132,713 | 680,133 | 2,812,846 | 4.8% |
| 2001 | 2,025,193 | 665,118 | 2,690,311 | –4.4% |
| 2002 | 2,087,643 | 766,256 | 2,853,899 | 6.1% |
| 2003 | 2,246,566 | 746,561 | 2,993,127 | 4.9% |
| 2004 | 2,582,591 | 846,846 | 3,429,437 | 14.6% |
| 2005 | 2,842,947 | 862,184 | 3,705,131 | 8.0% |
| 2006 | 2,967,077 | 791,709 | 3,758,786 | 1.4% |
| 2007 | 3,066,414 | 702,048 | 3,768,462 | 0.3% |
| 2008 | 3,153,171 | 595,461 | 3,748,632 | –0.5% |
| 2009 | 3,133,393 | 404,803 | 3,538,196 | –5.6% |
| 2010 | 3,254,097 | 495,873 | 3,749,970 | 6.0% |
| 2011 | 3,361,097 | 504,072 | 3,865,169 | 3.1% |
| 2012 | 3,569,195 | 511,359 | 4,080,554 | 5.6% |
| 2013 | 3,754,331 | 492,091 | 4,246,422 | 4.1% |
| 2014 | 3,857,399 | 460,910 | 4,318,309 | 1.7% |
| 2015 | 3,975,309 | 545,733 | 4,521,042 | 4.7% |
| 2016 | 4,208,221 | 642,293 | 4,850,514 | 7.3% |
| 2017 | 4,278,311 | 662,173 | 4,940,484 | 1.9% |
| 2018 | 4,283,247 | 662,551 | 4,945,798 | 0.1% |
| 2019 | 4,126,357 | 651,824 | 4,778,181 | –3.4% |
| 2020 | 1,587,304 | 119,221 | 1,706,525 | –64.3% |
| 2021 | 2,312,189 | 2,490 | 2,314,679 | 35.6% |
| 2022 | 3,672,627 | 135,262 | 3,807,889 | 64.5% |
| 2023 | 3,842,622 | 322,541 | 4,292,670 | 11% |
| 2024 | 4,091,700 | 625,941 | 4,717,641 | 11.1% |
| 2025 | 4,038,102 | 665,872 | 4,875,498 | 3.35% |
| Rank | Airport | Number of passengers | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 1,305,500 | 5% |
| 2 | Sydney | 919,200 | 4.5% |
| 3 | Melbourne | 824,800 | 1.7% |
| Rank | Airport | Passengers handled | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tokyo | 261,086 | 135.5% |
| 2 | Osaka | 123,151 | 113.1% |
| 3 |  Singapore | 95,114 | 48.7% |
| 4 |  Denpasar | 78,727 | 70.9% |
| 5 |  Port Moresby | 37,284 | 31.2% |
| 6 |  Auckland | 26,176 | 1.9% |
| 7 |  Hong Kong | 2,637 | |
| 8 |  Shanghai | 1,156 | 0% |
| Rank | Airport | Freight handled (tonnes) | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hong Kong,Hong Kong | 1678.9 | 49 |
| 2 | Japan,Tokyo-Narita | 1156.2 | 54 |
| 3 | Japan,Osaka-Kansai | 309.9 | 60 |
| 4 | Papua New Guinea,Port Moresby | 252.4 | 15 |
| 5* | China,Shenzhen | 145.5 | 60 |
| 6* | China,Guangzhou | 108.3 | 60 |
| 7 | New Zealand,Auckland | 68.2 | 20 |
| 8 | Singapore,Singapore-Changi | 33.5 | 100 |
Ranks are located near both the International and Domestic Terminals. Cairns Taxis taxi ranks are located immediately outside the International and Domestic Terminals.
Airport shuttle bus services to hotels, city centre,Northern Beaches,Palm Cove,Port Douglas andCape Tribulation are available.
Short-term and long-term parking, including a covered car park and parking for people with a disability are located within the public carparks adjacent to both the Domestic and International Terminals.
A link from the Airport to the City has been proposed as a bus line or a metro line[50]
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Media related toCairns Airport at Wikimedia Commons
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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