Find cheap airlines flights from Melbourne to Cairns

Choose from 3 carriers that fly from Melbourne to Cairns, including Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, and Qantas Airways. Enjoy the cheapest tickets on this route with Jetstar Airways.

Book direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns: One way flights from $73, round trip flights from $142. Find flight deals for the next 3 months below.

Crossed out prices are calculated based on the average price of the corresponding route on Trip.com.

Flight Info | Melbourne to Cairns

The distance between Melbourne and Cairns is about 2,320.47 km. It takes around 3 hours 27 minutes on average to fly from Melbourne to Cairns. The most popular month to Cairns is July. The off-season for travel is October.

Cheapest one-way flight price$73
Cheapest round-trip ticket price$142
Off-season for travelOctober
Peak season for travelJuly
Flight distance2,320.47 km
Average flight time3 hours 27 minutes
Popular airlineJetstar Airways

When is the cheapest time to fly from Melbourne to Cairns?

The cheapest time for Melbourne to Cairns flights: Jan 11 to Jan 18 — one way flight prices from $73.

Cheapest flights
From price
Search
  • 1623
  • 2330
  • Dec

    307
  • 714
  • 1421
  • 2128
  • Jan

    284
  • 411
  • 1118
  • 1825
  • Feb

    251
  • 18
Displayed prices are calculated based on the cheapest average weekly prices of the corresponding route on Trip.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which airlines offer direct flights from Melbourne to Cairns?

    At the moment, you can catch a nonstop flight from Melbourne to Cairns with the following airlines, including: Jetstar Airways Virgin Australia Qantas Airways Selected airlines are based on historical data collected from flight bookings users made on Trip.com within the last 90 days.
  • It takes around 3 hours 27 minutes to fly from Melbourne (MEL) to Cairns (CNS).
  • By analyzing data from all airlines on the Trip.com flight calendar, it looks like the best time to book a flight from Melbourne to Cairns is around 40 days (6 weeks) in advance, and the best time to fly is usually on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Tuesday typically offers the cheapest flights for departure, while Saturday offers the best return deals.
  • Based on Trip.com data in the past 4 weeks, there is 65 flight per week flying from Melbourne to Cairns. You can check the weekly schedule for popular airlines on this route below: Jetstar Airways: S/M/T/W/T/F/S -- JQ942 (15:42)
  • The cheapest months to fly from Melbourne to Cairns is October, when demand for travel is lower.
  • After crunching the numbers on our November flight calendar, it's currently cheapest to fly from Melbourne to Cairns on November 25, 2025 with Jetstar Airways, with prices starting at $68.
  • You can land at any one of the following hubs in Cairns, with Melbourne Airport to Cairns Airport (MEL-CNS) is by far the most common option on this route: Cairns Airport (CNS).
  • The time difference between Cairns and Melbourne is 0h.
  • Tickets can only be changed or canceled if permitted by airline policy. To submit a change or cancellation request, go to the flight bookings page, select the option to change or cancel your booking, choose the relevant passengers and segment, and submit a request. Please note that additional charges may apply according to the airline ticket policy. However, if the flight has been rescheduled and you would like to change or cancel your ticket, you can submit an involuntary cancellation request. For more details about change and cancellation policies, please check the customer support pages.