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How Busy Is Cairns International Airport? CNS
Cairns, Australia. Departures peak at 06:00 local, averaging 7.9 flights per hour.
Window: last 60 days. Last refreshed: 2026-09-30. Schedule coverage: 169 days observed.
Peak departure hour
06:00
7.9 flights/hr
Quietest active hour
04:00
1 flights/hr
Traffic score
83/100
Relative volume
Departures by hour (local time)
Avg per day, last 60 daysTotal: 65.2 avg departures per day.
Weekday vs weekend departure pattern
Weekday avg per hour
Weekend avg per hour
Arrivals by hour (local time)
Avg per day, last 60 daysPeak arrival hour: 11:00 local (6.1 flights/hr). Total: 62.2 avg arrivals/day.
Top airlines
- 1. Qantas Airways (QF) 1,266
- 2. Jetstar Airways Pty (JQ) 1,033
- 3. Virgin Australia Airlines Pty (VA) 594
- 4. Skytrans Regional Pty Ltd t/a Skytrans Airlines (QN) 257
- 5. Australiawide Airlines Ltd. d/b/a Regional Express (ZL) 129
Top destinations
- 1. 🇦🇺 Brisbane (BNE) 830
- 2. 🇦🇺 Sydney (SYD) 534
- 3. 🇦🇺 Melbourne (MEL) 464
- 4. 🇦🇺 Townsville (TSV) 342
- 5. 🇦🇺 Horn Island (HID) 163
Frequently asked
- What's the busiest hour for departures at CNS?
- Departures from Cairns Int'l peak at 06:00 local time, averaging 7.9 flights per hour over the past 60 days.
- What's the quietest hour to fly out of CNS?
- The quietest hour with regular service is 04:00 local time, averaging 1 flights per hour.
- Which airline operates the most flights from CNS?
- Qantas Airways (QF) is the largest operator at Cairns Int'l, with 1266 observed departures in the past 60 days.
- What's the most popular destination from CNS?
- Brisbane (BNE) is the most-flown destination, with 830 observed departures in the past 60 days.
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