Cairns to Melbourne (CNS-MEL): nonstop flights and award space

Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas fly nonstop between Cairns (CNS) and Melbourne (MEL), roughly 57 times a week. The timetable below shows the nonstop scheduled at 2h 30m to 3h 30m for the 1,438 miles. 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas across every CNS to MEL date, so you can see whether a seat exists before you move points.

Schedule last confirmed . Departure times come from 2LNR's schedule data; confirm with the airline before you book.

Updated .

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57
Flights a week, 4-week average
2h 30m to 3h 30m
Scheduled flight time
1,438 mi
Nonstop distance
Free
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Cairns to Melbourne flight schedule

Scheduled nonstop departures for CNS to MEL starting October 28, 2026, last checked against our schedule feed on October 25, 2026. Airlines retime and cancel flights, so confirm with the airline before you book.

Schedule data dated .

Scheduled nonstop departures from Cairns (CNS) to Melbourne (MEL)
Date Flight Airline Departs CNS Arrives MEL Duration Aircraft
JQ 941Jetstar07:0010:302h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 33Jetstar09:4514:153h 30mAirbus A321neo family
JQ 947Jetstar10:1514:453h 30mAirbus A320
QF 703Qantas11:4016:053h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1292Virgin Australia11:4516:103h 25mBoeing 737-800
JQ 945Jetstar14:4019:103h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 943Jetstar19:2023:453h 25mAirbus A320
VA 1298Virgin Australia19:5000:153h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1302Virgin Australia23:5504:203h 25mBoeing 737-700
JQ 941Jetstar07:4512:153h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 33Jetstar09:4514:153h 30mAirbus A321neo family
QF 703Qantas11:4016:053h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1292Virgin Australia11:4516:103h 25mBoeing 737 MAX 8
JQ 945Jetstar14:4019:103h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 943Jetstar19:2023:453h 25mAirbus A320
VA 1298Virgin Australia19:5000:153h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1302Virgin Australia23:5504:203h 25mBoeing 737-700
JQ 33Jetstar09:4514:153h 30mAirbus A321neo family
JQ 947Jetstar10:1514:453h 30mAirbus A320
QF 703Qantas11:4016:053h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1292Virgin Australia11:4516:103h 25mBoeing 737 MAX 8
JQ 945Jetstar14:4019:103h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 943Jetstar19:2023:453h 25mAirbus A320
VA 1298Virgin Australia19:5000:153h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1302Virgin Australia23:5504:203h 25mBoeing 737-700
JQ 941Jetstar07:0010:302h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 33Jetstar09:4514:153h 30mAirbus A321neo family
JQ 947Jetstar10:1514:453h 30mAirbus A320
QF 703Qantas11:4016:053h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1292Virgin Australia11:4516:103h 25mBoeing 737 MAX 8
JQ 945Jetstar14:4019:103h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 943Jetstar19:2023:453h 25mAirbus A320
VA 1298Virgin Australia19:5000:153h 25mBoeing 737-700
JQ 941Jetstar07:0010:302h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 33Jetstar09:4514:153h 30mAirbus A321neo family
QF 703Qantas11:4016:053h 25mBoeing 737-800
VA 1292Virgin Australia11:4516:103h 25mBoeing 737 MAX 8
JQ 945Jetstar14:4019:103h 30mAirbus A320
JQ 943Jetstar19:2023:453h 25mAirbus A321neo family
VA 1298Virgin Australia19:5000:153h 25mBoeing 737-700

Showing the first 40 of 58 scheduled CNS to MEL departures across 7 days with service, starting October 28, 2026. Every remaining date is on the interactive map.

Departure and arrival times are local at their own airport, so an arrival can fall on a different local date than the departure; the duration column is the true elapsed flying time. A dash means the airline hasn't filed that value in the schedule data we hold. Aircraft are the equipment the airline filed, named where the code pins down one type and shown as the family or the bare code where it doesn't. Swaps can happen up to departure.

See every CNS to MEL date on the interactive map

Aircraft on the Cairns to Melbourne nonstop

In the schedule table on this page, Jetstar flies the Airbus A320 and the Airbus A321neo family. Virgin Australia flies the Boeing 737-700, the Boeing 737-800, and the Boeing 737 MAX 8. Qantas flies the Boeing 737-800. Each linked aircraft page shows where that airline schedules it. Airlines can swap aircraft up to departure.

Award seats on CNS to MEL departures

2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas, date by date. Open the calendar for Cairns to Melbourne to see whether a seat exists before you move points, the next 14 days free on every product and the full horizon on Pro.

Qantas award space was open on none of the 14 Cairns to Melbourne departure dates from October 26 to November 8 that 2LNR checked in the 7 days to October 26, 2026.

See real availability

Award seats by date on the CNS to MEL departures 2LNR tracks, checked against live inventory so you know what's open before you book.

Set an alert

Premium inventory turns over fast. Watch this route on Pro and 2LNR notifies you when space appears on a date you're tracking.

Plan on the map

See CNS to MEL on the interactive route map, with schedules, connections, and route statistics.

Airlines flying Cairns to Melbourne nonstop

Carriers operating CNS to MEL nonstop in the current schedule. Where 2LNR tracks the carrier, its departures show award space by date.

See CNS to MEL on the interactive map →

Frequently asked questions about CNS to MEL

How long is the flight from Cairns (CNS) to Melbourne (MEL)?
Scheduled flight times from Cairns (CNS) to Melbourne (MEL) run from 2h 30m to 3h 30m across the departures in the schedule table on this page. The nonstop covers about 1,438 miles, and airlines adjust scheduled times by season, so confirm with the airline before you book.
Which airlines fly nonstop from CNS to MEL?
Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas fly CNS to MEL nonstop. 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas.
How many flights a week are there from CNS to MEL?
About 57 nonstop flights a week run between Cairns (CNS) and Melbourne (MEL) in the current schedule, operated by Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas. Frequency shifts by season, and the schedule table on this page shows what is scheduled next.
What time do flights from CNS to MEL depart?
Scheduled CNS to MEL nonstops in the next 7 days with service leave between 07:00 and 23:55, local time at Cairns. The schedule table on this page lists every departure by date, with its arrival time and aircraft.
Which flights operate CNS to MEL nonstop?
The schedule table on this page lists 9 flight numbers for CNS to MEL nonstops, including JQ 33, JQ 941, JQ 943, JQ 945, and JQ 947 on Jetstar; VA 1292 and VA 1298 on Virgin Australia; and QF 703 on Qantas. The table lists each departure by date with its times and aircraft.
How do I check award availability on CNS to MEL?
Open the CNS to MEL route on the interactive map or the matrix to see award seats by date on Qantas, the next 14 days free and the full horizon on Pro. On Pro you can also set an alert on the route and 2LNR notifies you when space opens.

See CNS to MEL award space by date

See what's open by date on this route, the next 14 days free on every product and the full horizon on Pro.

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