Cheap flights from Melbourne Airport to Cairns from $120

The cheapest month to fly to Cairns from Melbourne Airport is in February. Flight prices, which tend to average around $256, are often lower during this time because this is during the off-season. If you are unable to visit Cairns during the month of February, then departing from Melbourne Airport during the month March is also very affordable. Most momondo users find prices during this month for around $259.

According to our data, Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly to Cairns from Melbourne Airport. The lowest ticket price found for a Tuesday departure recently was $318. Keep in mind that prices can always vary depending on your route and whether or not you are flying domestic or international. If your travel schedule is flexible, try to avoid departing on a Sunday because tickets tend to average around $365. These prices are subject to change though, so be sure to set up a Price Alert for flights to Cairns.

In the evening is the cheapest time of day to fly from Melbourne Airport to Cairns when you can find flight prices for as low as $270. Flying to Cairns in the evening is an ideal time because this is during off-peak travel hours. If you have a flexible travel schedule, then try to avoid flying at midday when prices are $669 on average. Flights to Cairns from Melbourne Airport at midday are generally more expensive because this time of day is more convenient for travellers’ schedules.

Fly from Melbourne to Cairns for the best Melbourne - Cairns flight prices

You are more likely to see cheaper flights to Cairns from Melbourne Airport when booking weeks ahead of your departure date. In general, you can expect to find flights to Cairns for around $308 when searching weeks before you fly. However, flight prices might be lower outside of this timeframe. For example, people recently found flights to Cairns from Melbourne Airport for as low as $276 on momondo.

There are 3 cabin classes available to choose from on Melbourne to Cairns flights. Cabin price and availability will vary by airline so perform a search above to find the right deals for you.

Jetstar is the most popular carrier operating from Melbourne to Cairns

Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas Airways are the top three most popular airlines that fly to Cairns from Melbourne Airport according to our data. Jetstar is the first choice among our users, with 75% of people opting to fly with this airline when travelling to Cairns. Keep in mind that there are 3 different airlines that fly to Cairns on a routine basis, so you have a few additional options to choose from.

Historically, on average around 16% of flights between Melbourne and Cairns have experienced a delay on any given week. The average delay length over the past 12 months has been 109 minutes.

Generally, flights departing at night tend to experience fewer delays. Flights departing in the early afternoon have, in the past, seen delays more frequently in comparison.

Saturday is statistically the day of the week that experiences the fewest delays on this flight route. Wednesday has historically seen more delays on average compared to the rest of the week.

According to our data, Virgin Australia have had the fewest delays on this route over the last 12 months, with about 11% of their flights experiencing any sort of delay.

As of March 2026, 15 flights take off from Melbourne Airport and land in Cairns each day. The most common flight departure time for this route is 08:00, with 76% of daily flights taking off at midday.

As of March 2026, 109 flights take off from Melbourne Airport and land in Cairns each week. The most common flight departure day for this route is Sun, with 17% of weekly flights taking off on this day.