Cairns Airport

Cairns Airport Template:Airport codes is an international airport in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Formerly operated by the Cairns Port Authority, the airport was sold by the Queensland Government in December 2008 to a private consortium. It is the seventh busiest airport in Australia. The airport is located Template:Convert north northwest<ref name=AIP/> of Cairns or Template:Convert north of the Cairns central business district, in the suburb of Aeroglen. The airport lies between Mount Whitfield to the west and Trinity Bay to the east.

The airport has direct flights to 10 international and 27 domestic destinations and many general aviation flights including a number of helicopter operators. Flights are operated to all major Australian cities and tourist destinations, regional communities in Far 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 for Australian Airlines prior to its ceasing of operations in June 2006 (the airport remains a major port for parent company Qantas). It is also a base for the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the search and rescue helicopters of the Queensland Government.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Cairns Airport served over 4.8 million passengers in the financial year of 2024.<ref name="CairnsAirport2025Stats"/>

History

Apron view of the international terminal in 2024

Cairns Airport goes back to 1928 when Tom McDonald started flying his de Havilland Gipsy Moth off a sand ridge near the present airport. He could only land and take off between high tides. During one emergency, McDonald was forced to take off from beer barrels.Template:Citation needed

During World War II, the Australian Government bought the airport for use by the Royal Australian Air Force. In 1943, the main runway was hard surfaced and lengthened to handle military aircraft. It was also used by the United 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 Template:Convert to accommodate larger aircraft. During the mid-1960s, the airport was upgraded and the runway further lengthened to Template:Convert and strengthened so jets could land.

During the 1970s, Australia's two domestic airlines Trans Australia Airlines and Ansett provided regular scheduled services to most Australian capital cities and also Papua New Guinea, while in 1975 Air 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 Template:Convert (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 Template:Convert. In 1997, the third stage of redevelopment was completed, during which a three-storey Airport Administration Centre was constructed providing Template:Convert of office space.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

A$200 million redevelopment of the Domestic Terminal started in August 2007 and was completed in 2010.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A further upgrade of the Domestic Terminal was begun in 2019 and completed in August 2020, at a total cost of $55 million.<ref name="im 2019-02-04">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="mdr 2020-08-03">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="t 2022-07-22">Template:Cite web</ref> The 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.<ref name="im 2019-02-04"/> The floor area of the departure hall was increased to Template:Cvt, and an additional Template:Cvt of dining and retail facilities were added.<ref name="im 2019-02-04"/> The upgrade also included expanded seating areas, a new interactive children's play screen, an upgraded Parenting Room, and a new Quiet Room.<ref name="mdr 2020-08-03"/>

Prior to February 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, Cairns Airport's chief aviation officer Luis Perez told the Cairns Post that he was in talks with 22 airlines to connect Cairns to destinations such as North America, Korea, Taipei, Malaysia, the Middle East, India, Vietnam and the Philippines.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Virgin Australia announced in December of that same year that they would be commencing a daily direct service to Tokyo-Haneda to be launched on 28 June 2023 with the newly arrived Boeing 737 Max 8 fleet.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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, like all of greater Cairns, was greatly affected by the severe weather during and in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Jasper forcing it to close for several days.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2024 it was announced that both Cairns and Mackay Airports would run on 100% renewable energy sources from 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0" />

Facilities

Terminals

International Terminal check-in after 2024 upgrade

The airport has two passenger terminals on the eastern side of the airport on reclaimed mangrove swamp. They are approximately Template:Convert north of the Cairns Central Shopping Centre and situated on Airport Avenue off Sheridan Street (Captain Cook Highway). The terminals are in separate buildings Template:Convert from one another. The Domestic Terminal is number 2, and has five jet bridges and 17 gates. The International Terminal is number 1, and has six jet bridges and ten gates in total.<ref>Cairns Airport terminal information Template:Webarchive retrieved 25 May 2011</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This is situated partially atop the former general aviation runway 12/30.

Paronamic view of Cairns Airport, including airplanes of Qantas, QantasLink, Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand

Runways

The airport has a single runway (15/33) which is Template:Convert 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 (Template:Convert) runway 12/30 that was used for general 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 and destinations

Passenger

Domestic Terminal, 2022

Cairns Airport on departure in 2025 with the new air-freight complex under construction

Other tenants

There are operators of emergency medical retrieval and rescue services based at the airport, including Emergency Management Queensland and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.Template:Airport-Statistics

Statistics

Annual passenger statistics for Cairns Airport<ref name="calyrstats">Template:Cite web</ref>

Year	Domestic	International	Total	Change
1998	1,915,717	688,058	2,603,775	Template:Decrease -2.2%
1999	2,022,908	660,659	2,683,567	Template:Increase 3.1%
2000	2,132,713	680,133	2,812,846	Template:Increase 4.8%
2001	2,025,193	665,118	2,690,311	Template:Decrease -4.4%
2002	2,087,643	766,256	2,853,899	Template:Increase 6.1%
2003	2,246,566	746,561	2,993,127	Template:Increase 4.9%
2004	2,582,591	846,846	3,429,437	Template:Increase 14.6%
2005	2,842,947	862,184	3,705,131	Template:Increase 8.0%
2006	2,967,077	791,709	3,758,786	Template:Increase 1.4%
2007	3,066,414	702,048	3,768,462	Template:Increase 0.3%
2008	3,153,171	595,461	3,748,632	Template:Decrease -0.5%
2009	3,133,393	404,803	3,538,196	Template:Decrease -5.6%
2010	3,254,097	495,873	3,749,970	Template:Increase 6.0%
2011	3,361,097	504,072	3,865,169	Template:Increase 3.1%
2012	3,569,195	511,359	4,080,554	Template:Increase 5.6%
2013	3,754,331	492,091	4,246,422	Template:Increase 4.1%
2014	3,857,399	460,910	4,318,309	Template:Increase 1.7%
2015	3,975,309	545,733	4,521,042	Template:Increase 4.7%
2016	4,208,221	642,293	4,850,514	Template:Increase 7.3%
2017	4,278,311	662,173	4,940,484	Template:Increase 1.9%
2018	4,283,247	662,551	4,945,798	Template:Increase 0.1%
2019	4,126,357	651,824	4,778,181	Template:Decrease -3.4%
2020	1,587,304	119,221	1,706,525	Template:Decrease -64.3%
2021	2,312,189	2,490	2,314,679	Template:Increase 35.6%
2022	3,672,627	135,262	3,807,889	Template:Increase 64.5%
2023	3,842,622	322,541	4,292,670	Template:Increase 11%
2024	4,091,700	625,941	4,717,641	Template:Increase 11.1%

Domestic

Busiest Domestic Routes - Cairns Airport 2024<ref name=autogenerated2>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	Airport	Number of passengers	% change
1	Brisbane	1,305,500	Template:Increase Template:Sort
2	Sydney	919,200	Template:Increase Template:Sort
3	Melbourne	824,800	Template:Increase Template:Sort

International

Busiest international routes – Cairns Airport 2024<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% change
1	Tokyo	261,086	Template:Increase Template:Sort
2	Osaka	123,151	Template:Increase Template:Sort
3	Singapore	95,114	Template:Increase Template:Sort
4	Denpasar	78,727	Template:Increase Template:Sort
5	Port Moresby	37,284	Template:Increase Template:Sort
6	Auckland	26,176	Template:Increase Template:Sort
7	Hong Kong	2,637
8	Shanghai	1,156	Template:Increase Template:Sort

Cargo

Busiest International freight routes of Cairns Airport (*route suspended) (2019)<ref name="fiscal">Fiscal year 1 July – 30 June</ref><ref name="IAA">Template:Cite web</ref>

Rank	Airport	Freight handled (tonnes)	% change
1	Template:Sort	1678.9	Template:Decrease Template:Sort
2	Template:Sort	1156.2	Template:Decrease Template:Sort
3	Template:Sort	309.9	Template:Decrease Template:Sort
4	Template:Sort	252.4	Template:Decrease Template:Sort
5*	Template:Sort	145.5	Template:Increase Template:Sort
6*	Template:Sort	108.3	Template:Increase Template:Sort
7	Template:Sort	68.2	Template:Decrease Template:Sort
8	Template:Sort	33.5	Template:Increase Template:Sort

Ground transport

Taxi

Ranks are located near both the International and Domestic Terminals. Cairns Taxis taxi ranks are located immediately outside the International and Domestic Terminals.

Bus

Airport shuttle bus services to hotels, city centre, Northern Beaches, Palm Cove, Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation are available.

Parking

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.

See also

• United States Army Air Forces in Australia (World War II)
• Transportation in Australia
• List of airports in Queensland

External links

• Template:Official website