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Route

Melbourne → Darwin

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

Darwin is currently 1 hour 30 min behind Melbourne.

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
1
busiest month · Jun
4 hr 6 min
measured flight time
4 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

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

Airlines

Who flies it

Virgin Australianow and then

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Melbourne. Most departures between 11:00 and 14:00.

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

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Boeing 737-800B73860%
  2. Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M20%
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 202613–
    July 202612
    • Virgin Australia2×
    August 202612
    • Virgin Australia2×
    September 202613
    • Virgin Australia3×
    October 2025Not seen in this month.
    November 2025Not seen in this month.
    December 2025Not seen in this month.

    Airlines observed on this route

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

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

    The airports on this route

    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

    Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin

    Darwin, AustraliaDRW / YPDN

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

    88 °F · CloudySource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

    Airport pageAll direct destinations

    About the route from Melbourne to Darwin

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

    Frequently asked questions about this route

    How far is Melbourne from Darwin by air?
    The great-circle distance between Melbourne Airport and Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin is approximately 1,946 mi.
    How long is the flight from Melbourne to Darwin?
    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 Melbourne to Darwin?
    Yes, a direct connection between MEL and DRW has been observed in our route data.
    Which airlines have been observed on this route?
    In the available route data: Virgin Australia.
    How often is there a flight from Melbourne to Darwin?
    On average around 1 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 10 observed flights. Mainly Virgin Australia. That is an observation, not a timetable.
    What is the current time difference between Melbourne and Darwin?
    Darwin is currently 1 hour 30 min behind Melbourne.

    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.