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Route

Cairns → Townsville

CNSCairnsCairns International Airport
TSVTownsvilleTownsville Airport / RAAF Base Townsville
Distance
177 mi
Estimated flight time
~50m

Same local time in Cairns and Townsville.

Observed nonstop

View the reverse route

How often does this route fly?

Frequency

Daily at most

On average around 1 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.

1
flights per day
2
busiest month · Dec
1
quietest month · Oct
40 min
measured flight time
3 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

  1. –Jan2026
  2. –Feb
  3. –Mar
  4. –Apr
  5. –May
  6. –Jun
  7. –Jul
  8. –Aug
  9. –Sep
  10. 1Oct2025
  11. 1Nov
  12. 2Dec

In February 2026 we saw less traffic at Cairns in general than usual; compare that month with care.

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Cairns. Most departures between 15:00 and 18:00.

  1. 00:00
  2. 01:00
  3. 02:00
  4. 03:00
  5. 04:00
  6. 05:00
  7. 06:00
  8. 07:00
  9. 08:00
  10. 09:00
  11. 10:00
  12. 11:00
  13. 12:00
  14. 13:00
  15. 14:00
  16. 15:00
  17. 16:00
  18. 17:00
  19. 18:00
  20. 19:00
  21. 20:00
  22. 21:00
  23. 22:00
  24. 23:00

Through the week

By weekday

  1. 0Mon
  2. 0.1Tue
  3. 0.1Wed
  4. 0Thu
  5. 0Fri
  6. 0Sat
  7. 0.1Sun

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. De Havilland Dash 8-400DH8D65%
  2. B35012%
All the numbers in a table
MonthPer daySeenAirlines
January 2026Not seen in this month.
February 2026Not seen in this month.
March 2026Not seen in this month.
April 2026Not seen in this month.
May 2026Not seen in this month.
June 2026Not seen in this month.
July 2026Not seen in this month.
August 2026Not seen in this month.
September 2026Not seen in this month.
October 2025110–
    November 202515–
      December 202522–

        Airlines observed on this route

        From observed callsign routes on CNS-TSV - not a booking guarantee.

        Qantas

        QF · QFA

        Hub: SYD Sydney

        58 departure airportsView airline →

        About this route

        • Domestic route: both airports are in the same country.
        • The opposite direction has also been observed as a direct connection.
        • Direct destinations observed from Cairns: 4.
        • Direct destinations observed from Townsville: 8.

        The airports on this route

        Cairns International Airport

        Cairns, AustraliaCNS / YBCS

        Major airport · 4 direct destinations · 1 runway · longest runway 10,489 ft

        73 °F · RainSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

        Airport pageAll direct destinations

        Townsville Airport / RAAF Base Townsville

        Townsville, AustraliaTSV / YBTL

        Regional airport · 8 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 7,999 ft

        77 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

        Airport pageAll direct destinations

        About the route from Cairns to Townsville

        The observed direct connection between Cairns International Airport (CNS) and Townsville Airport / RAAF Base Townsville (TSV) covers approximately 177 mi. The estimated flight time is around 50m. Qantas has been observed on this connection in the available route data.

        Frequently asked questions about this route

        How far is Cairns from Townsville by air?
        The great-circle distance between Cairns International Airport and Townsville Airport / RAAF Base Townsville is approximately 177 mi.
        How long is the flight from Cairns to Townsville?
        Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 50m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
        Is there a direct connection from Cairns to Townsville?
        Yes, a direct connection between CNS and TSV has been observed in our route data.
        Which airlines have been observed on this route?
        In the available route data: Qantas.
        How often is there a flight from Cairns to Townsville?
        On average around 1 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 17 observed flights. Mainly . That is an observation, not a timetable.
        What is the current time difference between Cairns and Townsville?
        Same local time in Cairns and Townsville.

        Where this data comes from

        The route data comes from the flight archive (ADS-B, adsb.lol): which connections actually flew over the last twelve full months and who flew them, combined with our own airport, runway, and airline datasets. It is reference data about observed routes - not a current timetable and no claim about bookability.

        The frequency and aircraft on this page come from the flight archive (ADS-B, 12 months, October 2025 to September 2026), summarized per route per month. We do not see every flight, so it is a floor, not a count.

        Route data updated on October 11, 2026.