To Cairns

Cheap Flights from Mackay to Cairns

Browse current best options from Mackay. Become a member to unlock all deals and get alerts when new deals appear.

Deals from

Mackay

RatePunk searches hundreds of travel sites at once for deals on flights to Cairns

Prices updated 24 days ago

486,190 searches this week

171 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated May 29, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Mackay to Cairns

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Mackay to Cairns

Round trip

Sort by: Cheapest

October 15 - October 20

Cheapest

Best

MKY - Cairns

$402

$267

Round trip

July 27 - July 30

Earliest

MKY - Cairns

$309

$278

Round trip

July 27 - August 13

Earliest

MKY - Cairns

$286

$291

Round trip

August 17 - August 27

MKY - Cairns

$310

$292

Round trip

August 28 - August 31

MKY - Cairns

$336

$293

Round trip

August 2 - August 8

MKY - Cairns

$329

$295

Round trip

August 1 - August 3

MKY - Cairns

$343

$295

Round trip

September 4 - September 7

MKY - Cairns

$379

$295

Round trip

September 3 - September 7

MKY - Cairns

$376

$295

Round trip

December 19 - December 27

MKY - Cairns

$372

$295

Round trip

Unlock all 500+ flight deals to Cairns and get alerts when great deals appear

Route Intelligence — 486,190 Searches this Week

Insights for flights from Mackay to Cairns

For those seeking cheap flights from Mackay to Cairns, October stands out as the most affordable month, with a median fare of just $135. September also offers competitive pricing, with a median fare of $143, followed by November at $181. Planning your trip during these months can significantly reduce travel costs.

Fares for flights from Mackay to Cairns typically range from $180–$312, with a median price of $216. Right now, current fares are significantly above the typical level, indicating a less opportune time for booking. Despite this, about 36% of recent fares were still classified as a good price, suggesting that deals can still be found with diligent searching. New deals appear almost daily, so setting up a price alert could be beneficial.

When considering the journey from Mackay to Cairns, most itineraries connect at least once, as 0% of recent fares were for direct flights. For those itineraries that do connect, the typical number of stopovers is 1. This means you should generally expect at least one stop on your journey.

A typical journey from Mackay to Cairns takes approximately 4h 50m, including connections. This duration accounts for the common need for at least one stopover on this route. The overall distance covered on this route is 598 kilometers, classifying it as a short-haul flight.

How much is a round trip from Mackay to Cairns

Regular price: $312 - $536

Prices for flights from Mackay to Cairns are currently below the regular range.

The regular price range for flights from Mackay to Cairns is between $312 and $536. The current lowest deal is $267 with QantasLink for travel from Oct 15-Oct 20.

now $267

Low $312

High $536

The cheapest time to fly from Mackay to Cairns

The cheapest month to fly from MKY to CNS is October, with a median price of $135. The most expensive month is August, with a median price of $307. Prices are generally lower from March to November.

October

Cheapest

Flights from $135

August

Most Expensive

Flights from $307

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Direct flights from Mackay to Cairns

QantasLink

Last-minute flights going from Mackay to Cairns

Wed, Jun 17

⌛ Last-Minute

MKY - Cairns

Mackay (MKY) - Cairns (CNS)

$399

$489

One-way

Thu, Jun 18

⌛ Last-Minute

MKY - Cairns

Mackay (MKY) - Cairns (CNS)

QantasLink

$446

$631

One-way

Fri, Jun 19

⌛ Last-Minute

MKY - Cairns

Mackay (MKY) - Cairns (CNS)

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

$446

$342

One-way

Fri, Jun 19

⌛ Last-Minute

MKY - Cairns

Mackay (MKY) - Cairns (CNS)

QantasLink

$501

$587

One-way

Mon, Jun 22

⌛ Last-Minute

MKY - Cairns

Mackay (MKY) - Cairns (CNS)

QantasLink

$479

$588

One-way

Wed, Jun 24

⌛ Last-Minute

MKY - Cairns

Mackay (MKY) - Cairns (CNS)

QantasLink

$426

$585

One-way

Biggest price drops on these dates for flights from Mackay to Cairns

5 nights

Oct 15 - Oct 20

$402 → $267

34%

7 nights

Jun 19 - Jun 26

$446 → $342

23%

4 nights

Oct 15 - Oct 19

$397 → $300

25%

6 nights

Oct 15 - Oct 21

$396 → $300

24%

Popular Airports to fly from Mackay to Cairns

Mackay - Cairns route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares from Mackay to Cairns are above the typical level, with a median price of $216.

📅 Best time to fly

October is historically cheapest at $135

Historically, October is the cheapest month to fly from Mackay to Cairns, with a median price of $135.

⏱️ Flight duration

Connecting flights average 4h 50m

Flights from Mackay to Cairns typically take 4 hours 50 minutes, with one stopover.

✈️ Airlines & availability

QantasLink offers deals on this route

QantasLink has offered recent deals for flights from Mackay to Cairns.

🏆 Airline highlight

QantasLink: 1 deal found

QantasLink has had 1 deal for flights from Mackay to Cairns recently.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals appear frequently on this route

Deals for flights from Mackay to Cairns appear frequently, about 0.5 times per day.

Mackay main airports to depart from

Mackay (MKY)

Cheapest

Mackay Airport is a convenient departure point for flights to Cairns, offering a direct travel option.

📍 ~5 km from Mackay city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$267

Cairns main airports to arrive at

Cairns (CNS)

Cheapest

Cairns Airport is a convenient arrival point for flights from Mackay to Cairns.

📍 ~5 km from city center (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~$267

Airports nearby Cairns used as alternative

Townsville (TSV)

Cheapest

Townsville Airport offers a balance of proximity and flight frequency as an alternative arrival airport.

📍 ~350 km from Cairns (reachable by car or rail).

💸 Flights from ~$193

Whitsunday Coast (PPP)

Whitsunday Coast Airport is a major gateway for the Whitsunday region with reliable jet services.

📍 ~700 km from Cairns (requires a long drive).

💸 Flights from ~$278

Great Barrier Reef (HTI)

Great Barrier Reef Airport is an alternative for travelers already planning to visit the reef region.

📍 ~750 km from Cairns (requires ferry transfer from mainland).

💸 Flights from ~$330

Mount Isa (ISA)

Mount Isa Airport serves as a primary connection point for Western Queensland with scheduled commercial services.

📍 ~1000 km from Cairns (extremely remote with limited road access efficiency).

💸 Flights from ~$468

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Cairns

Discover luxury on the budget with premium cabin class on flights from Mackay to Cairns.

Elite

Best Elite deals to Cairns

Exclusive daily First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy flight deals, refreshed every 24 hours.

From MKY

Elite

Sep 30

Cairns, Australia

70% AI deal score

$1,573

$884

Save $689

From MKY

Elite

Dec 05

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,479

$884

Save $595

From MKY

Elite

Sep 22

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,500

$884

Save $616

From MKY

Elite

Oct 29

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,484

$884

Save $600

From MKY

Elite

Dec 07

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,484

$884

Save $600

From MKY

Elite

Sep 22

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,500

$884

Save $616

From MKY

Elite

Dec 01

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,476

$884

Save $592

From MKY

Elite

Oct 28

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,432

$884

Save $548

From MKY

Elite

Oct 29

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,428

$884

Save $544

From MKY

Elite

Dec 04

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,478

$884

Save $594

From MKY

Elite

Dec 03

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,480

$884

Save $596

From MKY

Elite

Oct 30

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,428

$884

Save $544

From MKY

Elite

Oct 28

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,433

$884

Save $549

From MKY

Elite

Oct 27

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,432

$884

Save $548

From MKY

Elite

Dec 02

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,480

$884

Save $596

From MKY

Elite

Oct 26

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,432

$884

Save $548

From MKY

Elite

Dec 06

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,496

$884

Save $612

From MKY

Elite

Dec 08

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,461

$884

Save $577

From MKY

Elite

Dec 03

Cairns, Australia

69% AI deal score

$1,480

$884

Save $596

From MKY

Elite

Oct 30

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,443

$884

Save $559

From MKY

Elite

Oct 26

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,427

$884

Save $543

From MKY

Elite

Oct 29

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,433

$884

Save $549

From MKY

Elite

Oct 28

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,438

$884

Save $554

From MKY

Elite

Oct 30

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,421

$884

Save $537

From MKY

Elite

Oct 31

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,443

$884

Save $559

From MKY

Elite

Oct 28

Cairns, Australia

68% AI deal score

$1,444

$884

Save $560

From MKY

Elite

Nov 18

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,350

$884

Save $466

From MKY

Elite

Nov 03

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,378

$884

Save $494

From MKY

Elite

Nov 25

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,337

$884

Save $453

From MKY

Elite

Nov 02

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,365

$884

Save $481

From MKY

Elite

Nov 17

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,374

$884

Save $490

From MKY

Elite

Nov 04

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,365

$884

Save $481

From MKY

Elite

Nov 04

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,373

$884

Save $489

From MKY

Elite

Nov 09

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,351

$884

Save $467

From MKY

Elite

Nov 02

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,365

$884

Save $481

From MKY

Elite

Nov 11

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,355

$884

Save $471

From MKY

Elite

Nov 02

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,371

$884

Save $487

From MKY

Elite

Nov 12

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,369

$884

Save $485

From MKY

Elite

Nov 03

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,359

$884

Save $475

From MKY

Elite

Nov 25

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,340

$884

Save $456

From MKY

Elite

Nov 08

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,358

$884

Save $474

From MKY

Elite

Nov 02

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,362

$884

Save $478

From MKY

Elite

Nov 23

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,376

$884

Save $492

From MKY

Elite

Nov 08

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,374

$884

Save $490

From MKY

Elite

Nov 11

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,373

$884

Save $489

From MKY

Elite

Nov 02

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,365

$884

Save $481

From MKY

Elite

Nov 08

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,355

$884

Save $471

From MKY

Elite

Nov 22

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,351

$884

Save $467

From MKY

Elite

Nov 09

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,351

$884

Save $467

From MKY

Elite

Nov 04

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,354

$884

Save $470

From MKY

Elite

Nov 26

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,370

$884

Save $486

From MKY

Elite

Nov 08

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,353

$884

Save $469

From MKY

Elite

Nov 15

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,350

$884

Save $466

From MKY

Elite

Nov 14

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,350

$884

Save $466

From MKY

Elite

Nov 02

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,383

$884

Save $499

From MKY

Elite

Nov 12

Cairns, Australia

67% AI deal score

$1,353

$884

Save $469

From MKY

Elite

Nov 21

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,342

$884

Save $458

From MKY

Elite

Nov 12

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,353

$884

Save $469

From MKY

Elite

Nov 27

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,329

$884

Save $445

From MKY

Elite

Nov 07

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,355

$884

Save $471

From MKY

Elite

Nov 14

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,344

$884

Save $460

From MKY

Elite

Nov 10

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,356

$884

Save $472

From MKY

Elite

Nov 27

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,331

$884

Save $447

From MKY

Elite

Nov 17

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,356

$884

Save $472

From MKY

Elite

Nov 15

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,351

$884

Save $467

From MKY

Elite

Nov 07

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,363

$884

Save $479

From MKY

Elite

Nov 16

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,347

$884

Save $463

From MKY

Elite

Nov 15

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,348

$884

Save $464

From MKY

Elite

Nov 23

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,352

$884

Save $468

From MKY

Elite

Nov 09

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,351

$884

Save $467

From MKY

Elite

Nov 07

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,350

$884

Save $466

From MKY

Elite

Nov 15

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,353

$884

Save $469

From MKY

Elite

Nov 18

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,349

$884

Save $465

From MKY

Elite

Nov 26

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,322

$884

Save $438

From MKY

Elite

Nov 27

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,325

$884

Save $441

From MKY

Elite

Nov 15

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,342

$884

Save $458

From MKY

Elite

Nov 21

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,341

$884

Save $457

From MKY

Elite

Nov 16

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,356

$884

Save $472

From MKY

Elite

Nov 14

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,349

$884

Save $465

From MKY

Elite

Nov 24

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,350

$884

Save $466

From MKY

Elite

Nov 07

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,352

$884

Save $468

From MKY

Elite

Nov 09

Cairns, Australia

47% AI deal score

$1,360

$884

Save $476

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Cairns

Historically, the lowest prices for flights from Mackay to Cairns are typically found when booking between 28 and 59 days in advance. During this period, the average price was $242. Booking 14-27 days out also offered competitive pricing, with an average of $243. Prices tend to be slightly higher for last-minute bookings, averaging $246 for flights booked 0-6 days prior to departure.

Across the trailing quarter, a good price for a flight from Mackay to Cairns is considered to be $180 or less. The median price for this route was $216. Prices can go up significantly, with 75% of deals observed at $312 or less. This threshold of $180 represents the lower end of prices typically seen for this route.

Historically, the cheapest months to fly from Mackay to Cairns are October and September. In October, the median price was $135, while September saw a median price of $143. November also offered relatively lower prices, with a median of $181. The annual median price for this route is $216, indicating that these months offer significant savings.

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