--- title: "Darwin (DRW) to Cairns (CNS) flights: who flies it" description: "Qantas and Airnorth fly Darwin (DRW) to Cairns (CNS) nonstop about 8 times a week, scheduled at 2h 30m to 3h 30m. See award seats by date on 2LNR, the next 14 days free." canonical: "https://2lnr.com/routes/drw-cns" url: "https://2lnr.com/routes/drw-cns.md" date_modified: "2026-10-18T05:10:47Z" --- # Darwin to Cairns (DRW-CNS): nonstop flights and award space Qantas and Airnorth fly the DRW to CNS nonstop about 8 times a week. The timetable below shows the nonstop scheduled at 2h 30m to 3h 30m for the 1,040 miles. 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas across every DRW to CNS date, so you can see whether a seat exists before you move points. Schedule last confirmed October 18, 2026. Departure times come from 2LNR's schedule data; confirm with the airline before you book. Updated October 23, 2026. See DRW to CNS on the interactive map [Get started free](https://2lnr.com/login) 8 Flights a week, 4-week average 2h 30m to 3h 30m Scheduled flight time 1,040 mi Nonstop distance Free To get started ## Darwin to Cairns flight schedule Scheduled nonstop departures for DRW to CNS starting October 22, 2026, last checked against our schedule feed on October 18, 2026. Airlines retime and cancel flights, so confirm with the airline before you book. Scheduled nonstop departures from Darwin (DRW) to Cairns (CNS) | Date | Flight | Airline | Departs DRW | Arrives CNS | Duration | Aircraft | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Thu, Oct 22 | QF 1889 | Qantas | 07:00 | 10:00 | 2h 30m | [Embraer E190](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf/e190.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | QF 1889 | Qantas | 07:00 | 10:00 | 2h 30m | Embraer E190 | | Fri, Oct 23 | QF 1853 | Qantas | 17:35 | 20:35 | 2h 30m | Embraer E190 | | Sat, Oct 24 | QF 1889 | Qantas | 07:00 | 10:00 | 2h 30m | Embraer E190 | | Sun, Oct 25 | QF 1895 | Qantas | 07:05 | 10:10 | 2h 35m | Embraer E190 | | Sun, Oct 25 | TL 160 | Airnorth | 08:00 | 12:00 | 3h 30m | Embraer E190 | | Mon, Oct 26 | QF 1895 | Qantas | 07:05 | 10:10 | 2h 35m | Embraer E190 | | Tue, Oct 27 | QF 1895 | Qantas | 07:05 | 10:10 | 2h 35m | Embraer E190 | | Wed, Oct 28 | QF 1895 | Qantas | 07:05 | 10:10 | 2h 35m | Embraer E190 | Showing all 9 scheduled DRW to CNS departures across 7 days with service, starting October 22, 2026. Later dates are 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 DRW to CNS date on the interactive map ## Aircraft on the Darwin to Cairns nonstop In the schedule table on this page, Qantas flies the [Embraer E190](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf/e190.md), and Airnorth flies the Embraer E190. Each linked aircraft page shows where that airline schedules it. Airlines can swap aircraft up to departure. ## Award seats on DRW to CNS departures 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas, date by date. Open the calendar for Darwin to Cairns 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 2 of the 12 Darwin to Cairns departure dates from October 19 to November 1 that 2LNR checked in the 7 days to October 19, 2026. ### See real availability Award seats by date on the DRW to CNS 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 DRW to CNS on the interactive route map, with schedules, connections, and route statistics. ## Airlines flying Darwin to Cairns nonstop Carriers operating DRW to CNS nonstop in the current schedule. Where 2LNR tracks the carrier, its departures show award space by date. - [Qantas (QF) route map](https://2lnr.com/routes/airlines/qf.md)\ [The aircraft QF flies](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf.md) - [Airnorth (TL) route map](https://2lnr.com/routes/airlines/tl.md)\ [The aircraft TL flies](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/tl.md) See DRW to CNS on the interactive map → ## Frequently asked questions about DRW to CNS **How long is the flight from Darwin (DRW) to Cairns (CNS)?** Scheduled flight times from Darwin (DRW) to Cairns (CNS) run from 2h 30m to 3h 30m across the departures in the schedule table on this page. The nonstop covers about 1,040 miles, and airlines adjust scheduled times by season, so confirm with the airline before you book. **Which airlines fly nonstop from DRW to CNS?** Qantas and Airnorth fly DRW to CNS nonstop. 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas. **How many flights a week are there from DRW to CNS?** About 8 nonstop flights a week run between Darwin (DRW) and Cairns (CNS) in the current schedule, operated by Qantas and Airnorth. Frequency shifts by season, and the schedule table on this page shows what is scheduled next. **What time do flights from DRW to CNS depart?** Scheduled DRW to CNS nonstops in the next 7 days with service leave between 07:00 and 17:35, local time at Darwin. The schedule table on this page lists every departure by date, with its arrival time and aircraft. **Which flights operate DRW to CNS nonstop?** In the schedule table on this page, DRW to CNS nonstops fly as QF 1853, QF 1889, and QF 1895 on Qantas, and TL 160 on Airnorth. The table lists each departure by date with its times and aircraft. **How do I check award availability on DRW to CNS?** Open the DRW to CNS 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. Flying the other way? See [CNS to DRW nonstop flights and award space](https://2lnr.com/routes/cns-drw.md). Award seats rather than schedules? See [Qantas award availability](https://2lnr.com/awards/qf.md). Looking beyond this route? See [every route from Darwin (DRW)](https://2lnr.com/routes/drw.md), or [every route from Cairns (CNS)](https://2lnr.com/routes/cns.md). - [How to plan an upgrade by route](https://2lnr.com/guides/upgrade-strategy.md) - [How to read award availability by date](https://2lnr.com/guides/award-availability.md) ## See DRW to CNS 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. [Get started free](https://2lnr.com/login)