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Cheap Flights from Townsville to Cairns

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Flight deals from Townsville to Cairns

Looking for a cheap last-minute deal or the best return flight from Townsville to Cairns? Find the lowest prices on one-way and return tickets right here.
Cairns.$280 per passenger.Departing Tue, 22 Jul, returning Thu, 24 Jul.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Tue, 22 Jul, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Thu, 24 Jul, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $280, select.
Cairns.$288 per passenger.Departing Sun, 31 Aug, returning Tue, 16 Sep.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Sun, 31 Aug, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Tue, 16 Sep, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $288, select.
Cairns.$289 per passenger.Departing Tue, 27 May, returning Thu, 29 May.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Tue, 27 May, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Thu, 29 May, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $289, select.
Cairns.$292 per passenger.Departing Tue, 2 Sep, returning Sun, 7 Sep.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Tue, 2 Sep, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Sun, 7 Sep, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $292, select.
Cairns.$292 per passenger.Departing Tue, 13 Jan, returning Thu, 15 Jan.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Tue, 13 Jan, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Thu, 15 Jan, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $292, select.
Cairns.$295 per passenger.Departing Thu, 29 May, returning Sun, 1 Jun.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Thu, 29 May, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Sun, 1 Jun, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $295, select.
Cairns.$318 per passenger.Departing Tue, 6 Jan, returning Thu, 12 Feb.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Tue, 6 Jan, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Thu, 12 Feb, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $318, select.
Cairns.$330 per passenger.Departing Sun, 8 Jun, returning Sun, 15 Jun.Return flight with Regional Express.Outbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Townsville on Sun, 8 Jun, arriving in Cairns.Inbound direct flight with Regional Express departs from Cairns on Sun, 15 Jun, arriving in Townsville.Price includes taxes and charges.From $330, select.

Find the cheapest month to fly from Townsville to Cairns

We’re always keeping an eye on fares, so you can find the best one in seconds. It looks like Townsville to Cairns flights are currently cheapest in July.
Apr
from $431
May
from $289
Jun
from $330
Jul
from $280
Aug
Find prices
Sep
from $292
Oct
Find prices
Nov
from $424
Dec
from $432
Jan
from $292
Feb
from $431
Mar
Find prices

Direct flights from Townsville to Cairns

Townsville to Cairns: Alternative routes

Compare routes from Townsville to Cairns below. You may find an airport to fly into that's cheaper, faster, or easier than Cairns.

Townsville to Cairns: Flight information

The things to know before you go.
Cheapest flight found$280
Cheapest month to flyJuly
Average flight time58 mins
Most popular airlineAir New Zealand
Average flights per week99

Finding cheap flights from Townsville to Cairns: Frequently asked questions

The best price we found for a return flight from Townsville to Cairns is $280. This is an estimate based on information collected from different airlines and travel providers over the last 4 days and is subject to change and availability.
58 minutes is the average flight time from Townsville to Cairns.
Air New Zealand, Qantas and Sunstate fly direct from Townsville to Cairns.
As of April 2025, there are 99 flights per week flying from Townsville to Cairns.
The cheapest month to fly from Townsville to Cairns is usually April 2025.
After crunching the numbers on our flight calendar, we found that it's currently cheapest to fly from Townsville Airport to Cairns Airport on Tuesday, 22 July 2025.
Yes – the average flight time is 58 minutes.
We show every price from over 1,200 airlines and travel agents, comparing them all so you don’t have to. If you know you want to fly to Cairns but you’re not ready to book, set up a Price Alert. We’ll track prices for you, and let you know when they rise or fall.
We crunched all the numbers in our flight calendar and it looks like the cheapest time to book a flight to Cairns is around 40 days in advance, so don’t leave your flight to the last minute.
Currently, Regional Express offers the cheapest flight tickets to Cairns.

Which airlines fly from Townsville to Cairns?

Although there are 5 direct flights from Townsville to Cairns, these are all sold by Qantas. Some of these flights are operated by QantasLink.

Flights with 1 stop at Brisbane Airport are also available, but these tend to cost more than the direct flights.

Is there a time difference between Townsville and Cairns?

No. Cairns and Townsville are in the same time zone.

What is the weather like in Cairns?

In the summer, Cairns and Townsville are very similar. However, in winter Cairns is 2°C warmer on average.

Cairns also gets much more rain than Townsville, with the majority falling over summer.

How expensive is Cairns?

Townsville

Cairns

Average cost of a meal

$15.00

$15.00

Average cost of a coffee

$4.75

$4.75

Average cost of a taxi from the airport to the CBD

$15-$20

$20-$25

Essential travel information for Cairns

You’ll need photo ID to check in for your flight to Cairns.

Departing from Townsville

Townsville Airport (TSV) is 5km west of the town centre. This should take 5-10 minutes to drive, which costs no more than $20 in a taxi. Airport parking starts at $19 per day and can be booked online.

The public 205 bus stops at the corner of Meenan Street and Halifax Street, which is a 10-minute walk to the terminal. Shuttles can also be arranged to get to the airport.

For all domestic flights in Australia, you should aim to be at the airport an hour before your flight.

While waiting at Townsville Airport, there are limited options. You’ll find a café by the check-in counters and a second one after security. You’ll also find a newsagent by the departure gates where you can pick up some reading material.

Arriving in Cairns

Domestic flights to Cairns Airport (CNS) land Terminal 2. Once you land, you’ll pass through the food court and shopping area before getting to the baggage carousels and car hire desks.

Other transport options include taxis (available in front of the terminal under a covered taxi rank), shuttle buses (tickets must be picked up from a counter in the terminal) and the Airport Connect bus ($6 one way, $8 return – pick up clearly marked outside the terminal).

The heart of Cairns is 7km south of the airport. This should take less than 10 minutes by car or taxi, but may take 15 minutes or more by bus.

Return flights from Cairns to Townsville

For your return flight to Townsville, the trip to Cairns Airport is easy to make. If you bought a return ticket on the Airport Connect service, this picks passengers up from Sheridan Street.

Skyscanner has more information about flights from Cairns to Townsville here.

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Please note: all information is correct as of November 2018.


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Prices shown on this page are estimated lowest prices only. Found in the last 45 days.