Cairns Airport
Cairns is the seventh busiest airport in Australia, only 7 kilometres (4 miles) from the city centre, Cairns airport serves both domestic and international flights. It is also home to several helicopter operators.
Cairns has two runways; the main north-south one is 3, 196 metres long with a shorter 925 metre runway to the east, which is used for general aviation.
In 2008, the airport flew nearly 4 million passengers (2.9 million domestically and 900,000 internationally).
Airlines at Cairns
International destinations are serviced by Cathay Pacific, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Airlines PNG, Continental, United Airlines and Air Niugini.
Busy domestic travel is catered to by Qantas, QantasLink, Jetstar, Regional Pacific, Skytrans and Virgin Blue.
Flights
The most flown domestic routes out of Cairns are to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Leading international routes are to Japan, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Auckland and Guam.
Hotels
Cairns Airport does not have any hotels immediately on site; however there are many hotels within 5 kilometres of the airport. The Cairns Great Barrier Reef website has information on hotels throughout the region that you might find helpful.
Parking
Wilson Parking runs both short-term and long-term parking which are fully-automated and accessible 24 hours per day. Parking is also designated for travellers with disabilities.
Public carparks are adjacent to both the Domestic and International Terminals. Further information on parking can be found at Official Cairns Airport.
Lounges
Qantas maintains a Qantas Club lounge in the International Departures Terminal. A new domestic lounge for Qantas Club members is being constructed, but in the meantime Qantas is using the former Ansett Australia Golden Wing Lounge as a temporary Qantas Lounge.
Cathay Pacific has a Reef Lounge available for First and Business Class, members of the Marco Polo Club, Cargo Plan Elite members and Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire members.
Terminals
Cairns airport has two terminals – one International Terminal and one Domestic Terminal. The Domestic Terminal is currently undergoing an A$200 million refurbishment and is due for completion in 2010.
A five minute walk on a covered walkway links to two terminals. For those who don’t want to walk, Australia Coach offers a shuttle bus service at a nominal fee.
Departures
A large Duty Free store and 27 retail outlets provide plenty of scope for picking up last-minute gifts. A large array of eating and drinking venues mean you won’t go hungry waiting for your flight.
Inside the International Departures lounge enjoy a meal or a drink at Sails, Aussie Burger Bar or Hanamatsuri.
For the convenience of departing international guests, there is a currency exchange booth in the Departure Lounge. The Domestic Lounge has clothing stores, a newsagents and food outlets including: Hungry Jacks, Coffee Club Skybury and Espresso Café.
Up-to-date Departures information can be found at official flight schedules page.
Arrivals
International travellers can take advantage of the two currency exchange booths – one in the baggage reclaim area and a second one in the Public Arrivals Hall.
Current Arrivals information can be found at the official flight schedules page.
Transportation
Arriving passengers can pick up a rental car from the Domestic Terminal located in the temporary Arrivals Lounge. Rentals can be arranged through Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Redspot and Thrifty.
Taxis are readily available 24 hours a day from taxi ranks outside both the Domestic and International Terminals and will run you around A$15-20 for a journey to the city centre.
Buses are not so convenient, departing hourly for Cairns and Port Douglas. There are shuttle buses to most of the major hotels operated by Australia Coach/Sun Palm Express.
There is a pick-up/drop off zone, but the driver must stay with the vehicle. Further transportation information may be found at Official Cairns Airport.