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Route

Darwin → Melbourne

DRWDarwinDarwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin
MELMelbourneMelbourne Airport
Distance
1,946 mi
Estimated flight time
~4h 25m

Melbourne is currently 1 hour 30 min ahead of Darwin.

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 · Sep
1
quietest month · Nov
3 hr 49 min
measured flight time
10 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

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

In December 2025, January 2026, February 2026, March 2026 we saw less traffic at Darwin in general than usual; compare that month with care.

Airlines

Who flies it

Jetstar Airwaysall year
Virgin Australiasummer
Qantassummer

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Darwin. Most departures between 16:00 and 19:00.

  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. 0.6Mon
  2. 0.3Tue
  3. 0.5Wed
  4. 0.4Thu
  5. 0.4Fri
  6. 0.4Sat
  7. 0.5Sun

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Boeing 737-800B73844%
  2. Airbus A320A32038%
  3. Airbus A321neoA21N6%
  4. Airbus A320neoA20N4%
  5. Airbus A321A3213%
All the numbers in a table
MonthPer daySeenAirlines
January 2026Not seen in this month.
February 202612
  • Jetstar Airways2×
March 202619
  • Jetstar Airways6×
  • Virgin Australia3×
April 2026111
  • Jetstar Airways7×
  • Qantas3×
  • Virgin Australia1×
May 2026113
  • Jetstar Airways11×
  • Qantas2×
June 2026124
  • Jetstar Airways15×
  • Qantas5×
  • Virgin Australia3×
July 2026115
  • Jetstar Airways8×
  • Virgin Australia4×
  • Qantas1×
August 2026131
  • Jetstar Airways12×
  • Virgin Australia10×
  • Qantas9×
September 2026242
  • Jetstar Airways15×
  • Virgin Australia14×
  • Qantas13×
October 2025Not seen in this month.
November 202515
  • Jetstar Airways3×
  • Virgin Australia2×
December 202518
  • Jetstar Airways4×
  • Qantas2×
  • Virgin Australia2×

Airlines observed on this route

From observed callsign routes on DRW-MEL - not a booking guarantee.

Jetstar Airways

JQ · JST

Hub: MEL Melbourne

35 departure airportsView airline →

Qantas

QF · QFA

Hub: SYD Sydney

58 departure airportsView airline →

Virgin Australia

VA · VOZ

Hub: BNE Brisbane

29 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 Darwin: 9.
  • Direct destinations observed from Melbourne: 44.

The airports on this route

Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin

Darwin, AustraliaDRW / YPDN

Major airport · 9 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 11,004 ft

90 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

Melbourne Airport

Melbourne, AustraliaMEL / YMML

International hub · 44 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 11,998 ft

72 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

About the route from Darwin to Melbourne

The observed direct connection between Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW) and Melbourne Airport (MEL) covers approximately 1,946 mi. The estimated flight time is around 4h 25m. Jetstar Airways, Qantas and Virgin Australia have been observed on this connection in the available route data.

Frequently asked questions about this route

How far is Darwin from Melbourne by air?
The great-circle distance between Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin and Melbourne Airport is approximately 1,946 mi.
How long is the flight from Darwin to Melbourne?
Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 4h 25m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
Is there a direct connection from Darwin to Melbourne?
Yes, a direct connection between DRW and MEL has been observed in our route data.
Which airlines have been observed on this route?
In the available route data: Jetstar Airways, Qantas and Virgin Australia.
How often is there a flight from Darwin to Melbourne?
On average around 1 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 160 observed flights. Mainly Jetstar Airways, Virgin Australia, Qantas. That is an observation, not a timetable.
What is the current time difference between Darwin and Melbourne?
Melbourne is currently 1 hour 30 min ahead of Darwin.

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.