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Route

Sydney → Darwin

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

Darwin is currently 1 hour 30 min behind Sydney.

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
1.5
busiest month · Jun
1
quietest month · May
4 hr 20 min
measured flight time
5 / 12
months seen

Through the year

Per day, month by month

  1. –Jan2026
  2. –Feb
  3. –Mar
  4. –Apr
  5. 1May
  6. 1.5Jun
  7. 1Jul
  8. 1Aug
  9. 1Sep
  10. –Oct2025
  11. –Nov
  12. –Dec

In December 2025, April 2026 we do not see this direction because of limited reception; the opposite direction is seen.

Airlines

Who flies it

Virgin Australiasummer
Qantasnow and then

Through the day

Departure times

Local time in Sydney. Most departures between 06:00 and 09:00.

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

Fleet

Aircraft observed

  1. Boeing 737-800B73878%
  2. Boeing 737 MAX 8B38M22%
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 2026We do not see this direction because of limited reception; the opposite direction is seen.
May 202613
  • Qantas3×
June 20261.53
  • Qantas2×
  • Virgin Australia1×
July 202615
  • Virgin Australia3×
  • Qantas2×
August 202616
  • Virgin Australia6×
September 202616
  • Virgin Australia6×
October 2025Not seen in this month.
November 2025Not seen in this month.
December 2025We do not see this direction because of limited reception; the opposite direction is seen.

Airlines observed on this route

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

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 Sydney: 50.
  • Direct destinations observed from Darwin: 9.

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

57 °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

79 °F · ClearSource: METAR observation via the NOAA Aviation Weather Center

Airport pageAll direct destinations

Alternative airports for this journey

Same journey, a different airport nearby - with an observed direct connection.

NTL DRWNewcastle AirportWilliamtown is about 88 mi from Sydney.View route →

About the route from Sydney to Darwin

The observed direct connection between Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD) and Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin (DRW) covers approximately 1,960 mi. The estimated flight time is around 4h 25m. Qantas and Virgin Australia have been observed on this connection in the available route data.

Frequently asked questions about this route

How far is Sydney from Darwin by air?
The great-circle distance between Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport and Darwin International Airport / RAAF Darwin is approximately 1,960 mi.
How long is the flight from Sydney 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 Sydney to Darwin?
Yes, a direct connection between SYD and DRW has been observed in our route data.
Which airlines have been observed on this route?
In the available route data: Qantas and Virgin Australia.
How often is there a flight from Sydney to Darwin?
On average around 1 flights a day, measured over twelve months (October 2025 to September 2026) in the flight archive, with 23 observed flights. Mainly Virgin Australia, Qantas. That is an observation, not a timetable.
What is the current time difference between Sydney and Darwin?
Darwin is currently 1 hour 30 min behind 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.