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Route

Darwin → Sydney

DRWDarwinDarwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin
SYDSydneySydney Kingsford Smith International Airport
Distance
1,960 mi
Estimated flight time
~4h 25m

Sydney 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 · Dec
1
quietest month · Nov
3 hr 56 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. 2Aug
  9. 2Sep
  10. –Oct2025
  11. 1Nov
  12. 2Dec

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

Qantasspring
Toll Aviationall year
Jetstar Airwaysspring
Virgin Australianow and then

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Darwin. Most departures between 13:00 and 16:00.

  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. 1.1Mon
  2. 0.8Tue
  3. 1Wed
  4. 0.5Thu
  5. 0.6Fri
  6. 0.3Sat
  7. 0.7Sun

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Boeing 737-800B73881%
  2. Airbus A320A32013%
  3. Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M4%
  4. Airbus A320neoA20N2%
All the numbers in a table
MonthPer daySeenAirlines
January 2026Not seen in this month.
February 202613
  • Toll Aviation3×
March 202617
  • Toll Aviation4×
  • Qantas2×
  • Jetstar Airways1×
April 2026125
  • Qantas11×
  • Toll Aviation8×
  • Jetstar Airways6×
May 2026118
  • Qantas9×
  • Toll Aviation5×
  • Jetstar Airways4×
June 2026130
  • Qantas16×
  • Toll Aviation12×
  • Jetstar Airways2×
July 2026117
  • Virgin Australia7×
  • Toll Aviation6×
  • Qantas4×
August 2026250
  • Qantas27×
  • Toll Aviation9×
  • Virgin Australia8×
  • Jetstar Airways5×
September 2026259
  • Qantas27×
  • Jetstar Airways12×
  • Toll Aviation11×
  • Virgin Australia9×
October 2025Not seen in this month.
November 2025113
  • Qantas9×
  • Toll Aviation3×
  • Jetstar Airways1×
December 2025223
  • Toll Aviation8×
  • Qantas7×
  • Jetstar Airways6×

Airlines observed on this route

From observed callsign routes on DRW-SYD - 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 →

Toll Aviation

TFX

Hub: MEL Melbourne

7 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 Sydney: 50.

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

82 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport

Sydney, AustraliaSYD / YSSY

International hub · 50 direct destinations · 3 runways · longest runway 12,999 ft

66 °F · Partly cloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

About the route from Darwin to Sydney

The observed direct connection between Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW) and Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) covers approximately 1,960 mi. The estimated flight time is around 4h 25m. Jetstar Airways, Qantas, Toll Aviation 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 Sydney by air?
The great-circle distance between Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin and Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is approximately 1,960 mi.
How long is the flight from Darwin to Sydney?
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 Sydney?
Yes, a direct connection between DRW and SYD has been observed in our route data.
Which airlines have been observed on this route?
In the available route data: Jetstar Airways, Qantas, Toll Aviation and Virgin Australia.
How often is there a flight from Darwin to Sydney?
On average around 1 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 245 observed flights. Mainly Qantas, Toll Aviation, Jetstar Airways. That is an observation, not a timetable.
What is the current time difference between Darwin and Sydney?
Sydney 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.