Front page of The Cairns Post (Wednesday, 4th of December), reads an exciting time for travel tourism in Cairns. “Flying High - Plane as Day” is the headline, sharing the good news of 270,000 people expected to travel through our city airport over the next three weeks.

International passenger numbers in Cairns have exceeded pre-pandemic levels for the first time consistently, with 2025 positioned as a bumper year by the Cairns Airport CEO, Richard Barker.

Some of the new and returning flights from this year, include:

  • Jetstar’s first ever direct flight from Cairns to the Sunshine Coast

  • the seasonal return of Cathay Pacific’s international flight routes

  • the commencement this year of Singapore Airlines and AirAsia Indonesia flights

  • Jetstar’s first direct flight to Christchurch

With Cairns’ first short-term airport accommodation project, SkyHaven, set to offer more accommodation options for travellers by early 2027, the future is looking very bright for Cairns and the Far North.

An artist’s impression of SkyHaven - 186 units of high-quality, purpose-built short-term accommodation at Cairns Airport.