Melbourne Airport
Melbourne, AustraliaMEL / YMML
International hub · 44 direct destinations · 2 runways · longest runway 11,998 ft
52 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Route
Melbourne → Sydney
MEL
MelbourneMelbourne Airport
MelbourneMelbourne AirportSYDSydneySydney Kingsford Smith International Airport
SydneySydney Kingsford Smith International Airport- Distance
- 439 mi
- Estimated flight time
- ~1h 25m
Same local time in Melbourne and Sydney.
Observed nonstop
How often does this route fly?
Frequency
Throughout the day
On average around 70.75 flights a day, observed from October 2025 to September 2026.
- 70.8
- flights per day
- 77
- busiest month · Oct
- 60
- quietest month · Jul
- 1 hr 5 min
- measured flight time
- 12 / 12
- months seen
Through the year
Per day, month by month
- 64Jan2026
- 74.5Feb
- 75Mar
- 73Apr
- 70May
- 69Jun
- 60Jul
- 63Aug
- 71.5Sep
- 77Oct2025
- 75Nov
- 61Dec
Airlines
Who flies it
Qantasall year
Virgin Australiaall year
Jetstar Airwaysall year
Northern Air Cargoall year
Tasman Cargo Airlineswinter
SriLankan Airlinesnow and then
34 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Forcenow and then
Through the day
Departure times
Local time in Melbourne. Most departures between 06:00 and 09:00.
- 00:00
- 01:00
- 02:00
- 03:00
- 04:00
- 05:00
- 06:00
- 07:00
- 08:00
- 09:00
- 10:00
- 11:00
- 12:00
- 13:00
- 14:00
- 15:00
- 16:00
- 17:00
- 18:00
- 19:00
- 20:00
- 21:00
- 22:00
- 23:00
Through the week
By weekday
- 69.5Mon
- 65.6Tue
- 67.8Wed
- 72.4Thu
- 66.3Fri
- 43.4Sat
- 73.5Sun
Fleet
Aircraft observed
- Boeing 737-800B73859%
- Airbus A320A32014%
- Airbus A321neoA21N8%
- Airbus A321A3216%
- Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M4%
All the numbers in a table
| Month | Per day | Seen | Airlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 64 | 1,847 |
|
| February 2026 | 74.5 | 1,961 |
|
| March 2026 | 75 | 2,174 |
|
| April 2026 | 73 | 2,005 |
|
| May 2026 | 70 | 1,838 |
|
| June 2026 | 69 | 1,907 |
|
| July 2026 | 60 | 1,821 |
|
| August 2026 | 63 | 1,880 |
|
| September 2026 | 71.5 | 2,061 |
|
| October 2025 | 77 | 2,265 |
|
| November 2025 | 75 | 2,113 |
|
| December 2025 | 61 | 1,798 |
|
Airlines observed on this route
From observed callsign routes on MEL-SYD - not a booking guarantee.
34 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force
EVYHub: CBR Canberra
Jetstar Airways
JQ · JSTHub: MEL Melbourne
Northern Air Cargo
NC · JTEHub: ANC Anchorage
Qantas
QF · QFAHub: SYD Sydney
Qantas
QF · QFAHub: SYD Sydney
SriLankan Airlines
UL · ALKHub: CDG Paris
Tasman Cargo Airlines
HJ · TMNHub: AKL Auckland
Virgin Australia
VA · VOZHub: BNE Brisbane
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 Sydney: 50.
The airports on this route
Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport
Sydney, AustraliaSYD / YSSY
International hub · 50 direct destinations · 3 runways · longest runway 12,999 ft
61 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Alternative airports for this journey
Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.
About the route from Melbourne to Sydney
The observed direct connection between Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) covers approximately 439 mi. The estimated flight time is around 1h 25m. 34 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Jetstar Airways, Northern Air Cargo, Qantas, Qantas, SriLankan Airlines, Tasman Cargo Airlines and Virgin Australia have been observed on this connection in the available route data.
Frequently asked questions about this route
- How far is Melbourne from Sydney by air?
- The great-circle distance between Melbourne Airport and Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is approximately 439 mi.
- How long is the flight from Melbourne to Sydney?
- Based on the distance, the estimated flight time is about 1h 25m. This is an estimate, not a schedule.
- Is there a direct connection from Melbourne to Sydney?
- Yes, a direct connection between MEL and SYD has been observed in our route data.
- Which airlines have been observed on this route?
- In the available route data: 34 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, Jetstar Airways, Northern Air Cargo, Qantas, Qantas, SriLankan Airlines, Tasman Cargo Airlines and Virgin Australia.
- How often is there a flight from Melbourne to Sydney?
- On average around 70.75 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 23,670 observed flights. Mainly Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar Airways. That is an observation, not a timetable.
- What is the current time difference between Melbourne and Sydney?
- Same local time in Melbourne and Sydney.
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.