--- title: "Sydney (SYD) to Cairns (CNS) flights: who flies it" description: "Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia fly nonstop from SYD to CNS, about 54 flights a week, covering 1,227 miles. See award seats by date on 2LNR, the next 14 days free." canonical: "https://2lnr.com/routes/syd-cns" url: "https://2lnr.com/routes/syd-cns.md" date_modified: "2026-10-18T05:10:47Z" --- # Sydney to Cairns (SYD-CNS): nonstop flights and award space Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas fly nonstop between Sydney (SYD) and Cairns (CNS), roughly 54 times a week. The timetable below shows the nonstop scheduled at 3h to 3h 15m for the 1,227 miles. 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas across every SYD 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 SYD to CNS on the interactive map [Get started free](https://2lnr.com/login) 54 Flights a week, 4-week average 3h to 3h 15m Scheduled flight time 1,227 mi Nonstop distance Free To get started ## Sydney to Cairns flight schedule Scheduled nonstop departures for SYD to CNS starting October 23, 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 Sydney (SYD) to Cairns (CNS) | Date | Flight | Airline | Departs SYD | Arrives CNS | Duration | Aircraft | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Fri, Oct 23 | JQ 950 | Jetstar | 06:10 | 08:20 | 3h 10m | [Airbus A320](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/jq/a320.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | VA 1413 | Virgin Australia | 08:10 | 10:25 | 3h 15m | [Boeing 737-800](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/va/737-800.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | QF 922 | Qantas | 09:45 | 11:55 | 3h 10m | [Boeing 737-800](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf/737-800.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | JQ 952 | Jetstar | 11:30 | 13:40 | 3h 10m | Airbus A320 | | Fri, Oct 23 | QF 1818 | Qantas | 11:30 | 13:40 | 3h 10m | [Embraer E190](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf/e190.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | VA 1419 | Virgin Australia | 12:40 | 14:55 | 3h 15m | [Boeing 737 MAX 8](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/va/737-max-8.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | VA 1423 | Virgin Australia | 15:10 | 17:25 | 3h 15m | Boeing 737-800 | | Fri, Oct 23 | JQ 954 | Jetstar | 15:15 | 17:25 | 3h 10m | [Airbus A321](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/jq/a321.md) | | Fri, Oct 23 | JQ 958 | Jetstar | 18:05 | 20:15 | 3h 10m | Airbus A320 | | Fri, Oct 23 | JQ 956 | Jetstar | 20:15 | 22:25 | 3h 10m | Airbus A320 | | Sat, Oct 24 | JQ 950 | Jetstar | 06:10 | 08:20 | 3h 10m | Airbus A320 | | Sat, Oct 24 | VA 1413 | Virgin Australia | 08:10 | 10:25 | 3h 15m | Boeing 737-800 | | Sat, Oct 24 | QF 922 | Qantas | 09:45 | 11:55 | 3h 10m | Boeing 737-800 | | Sat, Oct 24 | JQ 952 | Jetstar | 11:30 | 13:40 | 3h 10m | Airbus A320 | | Sat, Oct 24 | QF 1818 | Qantas | 11:30 | 13:40 | 3h 10m | Embraer E190 | | Sat, Oct 24 | VA 1419 | Virgin Australia | 12:40 | 14:55 | 3h 15m | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | | Sat, Oct 24 | JQ 954 | Jetstar | 15:15 | 17:25 | 3h 10m | Airbus A321 | | Sat, Oct 24 | JQ 956 | Jetstar | 20:15 | 22:25 | 3h 10m | Airbus A320 | | Sun, Oct 25 | JQ 950 | Jetstar | 06:20 | 08:20 | 3h | Airbus A320 | | Sun, Oct 25 | VA 1413 | Virgin Australia | 08:10 | 10:15 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | | Sun, Oct 25 | QF 922 | Qantas | 09:45 | 11:50 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Sun, Oct 25 | JQ 952 | Jetstar | 11:25 | 13:30 | 3h 5m | Airbus A320 | | Sun, Oct 25 | QF 1818 | Qantas | 12:40 | 14:45 | 3h 5m | Embraer E190 | | Sun, Oct 25 | VA 1419 | Virgin Australia | 12:50 | 14:55 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Sun, Oct 25 | VA 1421 | Virgin Australia | 14:40 | 16:45 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Sun, Oct 25 | JQ 954 | Jetstar | 15:25 | 17:25 | 3h | Airbus A320 | | Mon, Oct 26 | JQ 950 | Jetstar | 06:20 | 08:20 | 3h | Airbus A320 | | Mon, Oct 26 | VA 1413 | Virgin Australia | 08:10 | 10:15 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | | Mon, Oct 26 | QF 922 | Qantas | 09:45 | 11:50 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Mon, Oct 26 | JQ 952 | Jetstar | 11:25 | 13:30 | 3h 5m | Airbus A320 | | Mon, Oct 26 | QF 1818 | Qantas | 11:30 | 13:35 | 3h 5m | Embraer E190 | | Mon, Oct 26 | VA 1419 | Virgin Australia | 12:50 | 14:55 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Mon, Oct 26 | QF 924 | Qantas | 14:10 | 16:15 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Mon, Oct 26 | VA 1421 | Virgin Australia | 14:40 | 16:45 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Mon, Oct 26 | JQ 954 | Jetstar | 15:25 | 17:25 | 3h | Airbus A320 | | Mon, Oct 26 | JQ 956 | Jetstar | 20:30 | 22:35 | 3h 5m | Airbus A320 | | Tue, Oct 27 | JQ 950 | Jetstar | 06:20 | 08:20 | 3h | Airbus A320 | | Tue, Oct 27 | VA 1413 | Virgin Australia | 08:10 | 10:15 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737 MAX 8 | | Tue, Oct 27 | QF 922 | Qantas | 09:45 | 11:50 | 3h 5m | Boeing 737-800 | | Tue, Oct 27 | JQ 952 | Jetstar | 11:25 | 13:30 | 3h 5m | Airbus A320 | Showing the first 40 of 55 scheduled SYD to CNS departures across 7 days with service, starting October 23, 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 SYD to CNS date on the interactive map ## Aircraft on the Sydney to Cairns nonstop In the schedule table on this page, Jetstar flies the [Airbus A320](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/jq/a320.md) and the [Airbus A321](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/jq/a321.md). Virgin Australia flies the [Boeing 737-800](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/va/737-800.md) and the [Boeing 737 MAX 8](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/va/737-max-8.md). Qantas flies the [Boeing 737-800](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf/737-800.md) and the [Embraer E190](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf/e190.md). Each linked aircraft page shows where that airline schedules it. Airlines can swap aircraft up to departure. ## Award seats on SYD to CNS departures 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas, date by date. Open the calendar for Sydney 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 none of the 14 Sydney 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 SYD 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 SYD to CNS on the interactive route map, with schedules, connections, and route statistics. ## Airlines flying Sydney to Cairns nonstop Carriers operating SYD to CNS nonstop in the current schedule. Where 2LNR tracks the carrier, its departures show award space by date. - [Jetstar (JQ) route map](https://2lnr.com/routes/airlines/jq.md)\ [The aircraft JQ flies](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/jq.md) - [Virgin Australia (VA) route map](https://2lnr.com/routes/airlines/va.md)\ [The aircraft VA flies](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/va.md) - [Qantas (QF) route map](https://2lnr.com/routes/airlines/qf.md)\ [The aircraft QF flies](https://2lnr.com/seatmaps/qf.md) See SYD to CNS on the interactive map → ## Frequently asked questions about SYD to CNS **How long is the flight from Sydney (SYD) to Cairns (CNS)?** Scheduled flight times from Sydney (SYD) to Cairns (CNS) run from 3h to 3h 15m across the departures in the schedule table on this page. The nonstop covers about 1,227 miles, and airlines adjust scheduled times by season, so confirm with the airline before you book. **Which airlines fly nonstop from SYD to CNS?** Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and Qantas fly SYD to CNS nonstop. 2LNR tracks award seats on Qantas. **How many flights a week are there from SYD to CNS?** About 54 nonstop flights a week run between Sydney (SYD) and Cairns (CNS) 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 SYD to CNS depart?** Scheduled SYD to CNS nonstops in the next 7 days with service leave between 06:10 and 20:30, local time at Sydney. The schedule table on this page lists every departure by date, with its arrival time and aircraft. **Which flights operate SYD to CNS nonstop?** The schedule table on this page lists 12 flight numbers for SYD to CNS nonstops, including JQ 950, JQ 952, JQ 954, and JQ 956 on Jetstar; VA 1413 and VA 1419 on Virgin Australia; and QF 922 and QF 1818 on Qantas. The table lists each departure by date with its times and aircraft. **How do I check award availability on SYD to CNS?** Open the SYD 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 SYD nonstop flights and award space](https://2lnr.com/routes/cns-syd.md). Award seats rather than schedules? See [Qantas award availability](https://2lnr.com/awards/qf.md). Looking beyond this route? See [every route from Sydney (SYD)](https://2lnr.com/routes/syd.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 SYD 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)