Cairns Airport (IATA: CNS, ICAO: YBCS) is the primary international airport serving Cairns, the gateway to Tropical North Queensland, Australia. The airport is located approximately 7 kilometres north of the Cairns central business district, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics rainforests.
Cairns Airport is one of Australia’s leading regional airports, welcoming over 5 million passengers per year. It serves as a key gateway between Tropical North Queensland and destinations across Australia, Asia, and the Pacific. The airport operates two passenger terminals: Terminal 1 (International Terminal) and Terminal 2 (Domestic Terminal).
Cairns Airport has received numerous awards in recent years, including Airport of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards, Major Airport of the Year from the Australian Airports Association, and ACI Airport Health Accreditation. The airport is also recognised for its commitment to customer experience through its Airport Customer Experience (ACE) Program and Airport Ambassador Program.
In November 2025, Cairns Airport recorded 388,851 total passengers for the month, with a rolling 12-month total of 4,969,049 passengers. Domestic passengers accounted for 316,810 of the monthly total, while international passengers numbered 54,026. The airport’s international terminal is undergoing a $55 million redevelopment, the first major upgrade since it opened more than 30 years ago.