Are direct flights from Cairns to Townsville always the best option?

Direct flights offer convenience by reducing travel time and avoiding layovers, which can be appealing. However, connecting flights may sometimes be more affordable, depending on the route and demand. It's often worthwhile to compare both direct and connecting options to find what best suits your needs and budget.

Can flexible travel dates help on Cairns to Townsville flights?

Yes, being flexible with your travel dates can significantly impact flight prices. Flying on weekdays or during off-peak seasons often results in lower fares compared to weekends or popular holiday periods. Adjusting your departure or return by even a day or two may reveal more economical options.

What extra costs should I check before booking Cairns to Townsville flights?

Before booking, always check for potential extra costs such as baggage fees, seat selection charges, and in-flight services. Some airlines may also charge for printing boarding passes at the airport. Understanding these additional fees upfront can help you accurately budget for your trip.

Flights From Cairns

To Townsville

Cheap Flights from Cairns to Townsville

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

Deals from

Cairns

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

Prices updated 7 days ago

482 airlines compared

80%+ AI score for best value

Fares are subject to change and may not be available for all dates. (Data last updated Oct 26, 2026.)

Today’s best flight deals from Cairns to Townsville

Explore current cheapest deals departing from Cairns to Townsville

2026-12-06 – 2026-12-15
CNS - Townsville
37% AI deal score
A$338
A$407
Round trip
2026-12-27 – 2027-01-23
CNS - Townsville
37% AI deal score
A$328
A$407
Round trip
2027-01-24 – 2027-01-26
CNS - Townsville
36% AI deal score
A$294
A$407
Round trip
2026-12-10 – 2027-01-09
CNS - Townsville
36% AI deal score
A$309
A$407
Round trip
2027-03-21 – 2027-03-30
CNS - Townsville
32% AI deal score
A$238
A$407
Round trip
2027-03-02 – 2027-03-16
CNS - Townsville
32% AI deal score
A$224
A$407
Round trip
2026-12-10 – 2026-12-15
CNS - Townsville
38% AI deal score
A$365
A$407
Round trip
2026-11-22 – 2026-12-22
CNS - Townsville
34% AI deal score
A$330
A$407
Round trip
2027-03-02 – 2027-03-04
CNS - Townsville
32% AI deal score
A$235
A$407
Round trip
2026-12-06 – 2027-01-05
CNS - Townsville
36% AI deal score
A$309
A$407
Round trip

Cairns to Townsville: Overview

Insights for flights from Cairns to Townsville

A typical journey from Cairns to Townsville takes about 0h 55m, including itineraries with connections. While the non-stop flight time is also 0h 55m, connecting flights generally take significantly longer, with a median of 11h 20m. This route is considered short-haul, covering a distance of 285 kilometers.

For travelers looking for cheap flights from Cairns to Townsville, fares typically range from $385–$621, with a median of $514. Right now, current fares are above the typical level for this route. Only 13% of recent fares were classified as a good price, and new deals are infrequent — a price alert helps.

When is the cheapest time to fly from Cairns to Townsville? Historically, the most affordable months to fly are February, with a median fare of $237, followed by September at $271, and March at $272. These months offer significantly lower median prices compared to the overall typical range.

Most itineraries on this route connect at least once, with only 16.7% of recent fares being non-stop. For those itineraries that do involve connections, the typical number of stopovers is 1.

How much is a round trip from Cairns to Townsville

Regular price: A$256 - A$526

Prices for flights from Cairns to Townsville are currently within the regular range.

The regular price range for this route is AUD 256 to AUD 526. The current lowest deal is AUD 407 with Regional Express, for travel from Dec 27 to Jan 19.

now A$407

Low A$256

High A$526

The cheapest time to fly from Cairns to Townsville

The cheapest month to fly from Cairns to Townsville is February, with a median price of $237. The most expensive month is November, with a median price of $578. Prices are generally lower from January to September.

February

Cheapest

Flights from A$237

November

Most Expensive

Flights from A$578

Jan

Feb

Mar

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Cairns to Townsville

Regional Express

Last-minute flights going from Cairns to Townsville

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

QantasLink

A$456

A$518

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

QantasLink

A$439

A$560

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

QantasLink

A$441

A$635

One-way

Thu, Nov 5

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

Regional Express

A$461

A$423

One-way

Sun, Nov 8

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

Regional Express

A$446

A$407

One-way

Sun, Nov 8

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

Regional Express

A$446

A$407

One-way

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

4 nights

Nov 8 - Nov 12

A$446 → A$407

2 nights

Nov 8 - Nov 10

A$446 → A$407

3 nights

Nov 5 - Nov 8

A$461 → A$423

2 nights

Nov 10 - Nov 12

A$426 → A$407

Popular Airports to fly from Cairns to Townsville

Cairns - Townsville route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares for Cairns to Townsville are above the typical level, with a median of $514.

📅 Best time to fly

February offers the lowest median price

Historically, February has the lowest median price at $237, followed by September at $271.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights take 0h 55m

Direct flights from Cairns to Townsville typically take 0h 55m, while connecting flights average 11h 20m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Connecting flights are dominant

Connecting flights are dominant on this route, making up 83.3% of recent deals.

🏆 Airline highlight

Regional Express offers direct flights

Regional Express is an airline offering direct flights on the Cairns to Townsville route.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals are rare for this route

Deals for flights from Cairns to Townsville are historically rare, appearing infrequently.

Cairns main airports to depart from

Cairns (CNS)

Cheapest

Cairns Airport is a convenient departure point for flights to Townsville.

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

💸 Flights from ~A$409

Townsville main airports to arrive at

Townsville (TSV)

Cheapest

Townsville Airport is a convenient arrival point for travelers heading to Townsville.

📍 ~5 km from Townsville (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$384

Airports nearby Townsville used as alternative

Cairns (CNS)

Cairns Airport is a major international and domestic hub with significantly higher flight frequency and more destination options.

📍 ~340 km from Townsville (reachable by car, approximately 4 hours driving time)

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Townsville

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

Elite

Best Elite deals to Townsville

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

From CNS

Elite

Dec 17

Townsville, Australia

39% AI deal score

$1,402

$1,322

Save $80

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Dec 17

Townsville, Australia

38% AI deal score

$1,366

$1,322

Save $44

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Dec 25

Townsville, Australia

38% AI deal score

$1,390

$1,341

Save $49

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 23

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 15

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 16

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 21

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 31

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 15

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 21

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 27

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 28

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Townsville

To find more affordable flights, consider being flexible with your travel dates and times. Comparing prices across different airlines and booking sites can also help you discover better deals. Setting up price alerts may notify you when fares drop for your desired route.

Booking flights in advance often yields better prices, though the ideal booking window can vary. Generally, purchasing tickets several weeks or months before your departure date may result in more savings. Last-minute bookings can sometimes be more expensive.

Comparing nearby airports can sometimes uncover alternative flight options or different pricing. While not always necessary for every route, it may be a useful strategy if your primary airports show higher fares. Always consider the additional travel time and cost to reach these alternative airports.

Related routes

More routes from Cairns

Flights from Cairns to Adelaide Flights from Cairns to Alice Springs Flights from Cairns to Auckland Flights from Cairns to Bangkok Flights from Cairns to Brisbane Flights from Cairns to Christchurch Flights from Cairns to Doha Flights from Cairns to New Delhi Flights from Cairns to Port Vila Flights from Cairns to Queenstown Flights from Cairns to Tokyo Flights from Cairns to Vancouver

Flights to Townsville from other cities

Flights from City of Launceston to Townsville Flights from Darwin to Townsville Flights from Denver to Townsville Flights from Hobart to Townsville Flights from Jacksonville to Townsville Flights from Los Angeles to Townsville Flights from Mackay to Townsville Flights from Melbourne to Townsville Flights from Milwaukee to Townsville Flights from Mount Isa to Townsville Flights from Newcastle upon Tyne to Townsville Flights from Sunshine Coast Region to Townsville

Cairns to Townsville: Overview

Insights for flights from Cairns to Townsville

Most itineraries on this route connect at least once, with only 16.7% of recent fares being non-stop. For those itineraries that do involve connections, the typical number of stopovers is 1.

How much is a round trip from Cairns to Townsville

Regular price: A$256 - A$526

Prices for flights from Cairns to Townsville are currently within the regular range.

The regular price range for this route is AUD 256 to AUD 526. The current lowest deal is AUD 407 with Regional Express, for travel from Dec 27 to Jan 19.

now A$407

Low A$256

High A$526

The cheapest time to fly from Cairns to Townsville

February

Cheapest

Flights from A$237

November

Most Expensive

Flights from A$578

Jan

Feb

Mar

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Direct flights from Cairns to Townsville

Regional Express

Last-minute flights going from Cairns to Townsville

Tue, Oct 27

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

QantasLink

A$456

A$518

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

QantasLink

A$439

A$560

One-way

Wed, Oct 28

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

QantasLink

A$441

A$635

One-way

Thu, Nov 5

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

Regional Express

A$461

A$423

One-way

Sun, Nov 8

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

Regional Express

A$446

A$407

One-way

Sun, Nov 8

⌛ Last-Minute

CNS - Townsville

Cairns (CNS) - Townsville (TSV)

Regional Express

A$446

A$407

One-way

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

4 nights

Nov 8 - Nov 12

A$446 → A$407

2 nights

Nov 8 - Nov 10

A$446 → A$407

3 nights

Nov 5 - Nov 8

A$461 → A$423

2 nights

Nov 10 - Nov 12

A$426 → A$407

Popular Airports to fly from Cairns to Townsville

Cairns - Townsville route insights

💸 Price insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

Recent fares for Cairns to Townsville are above the typical level, with a median of $514.

📅 Best time to fly

February offers the lowest median price

Historically, February has the lowest median price at $237, followed by September at $271.

⏱️ Flight duration

Direct flights take 0h 55m

Direct flights from Cairns to Townsville typically take 0h 55m, while connecting flights average 11h 20m.

✈️ Airlines & availability

Connecting flights are dominant

Connecting flights are dominant on this route, making up 83.3% of recent deals.

🏆 Airline highlight

Regional Express offers direct flights

Regional Express is an airline offering direct flights on the Cairns to Townsville route.

🎯 Booking tip

Deals are rare for this route

Deals for flights from Cairns to Townsville are historically rare, appearing infrequently.

Cairns main airports to depart from

Cairns (CNS)

Cheapest

Cairns Airport is a convenient departure point for flights to Townsville.

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

💸 Flights from ~A$409

Townsville main airports to arrive at

Townsville (TSV)

Cheapest

Townsville Airport is a convenient arrival point for travelers heading to Townsville.

📍 ~5 km from Townsville (reachable by car)

💸 Flights from ~A$384

Airports nearby Townsville used as alternative

Cairns (CNS)

Cairns Airport is a major international and domestic hub with significantly higher flight frequency and more destination options.

📍 ~340 km from Townsville (reachable by car, approximately 4 hours driving time)

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Townsville

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

Elite

Best Elite deals to Townsville

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

From CNS

Elite

Dec 17

Townsville, Australia

39% AI deal score

$1,402

$1,322

Save $80

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Dec 17

Townsville, Australia

38% AI deal score

$1,366

$1,322

Save $44

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Dec 25

Townsville, Australia

38% AI deal score

$1,390

$1,341

Save $49

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 23

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 15

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 16

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 21

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 31

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 15

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Feb 21

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 27

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

From CNS

Elite

Jan 28

Townsville, Australia

30% AI deal score

$1,322

Virgin Australia Regional Airlines

Business Class

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Townsville

Cheap Flights from Cairns to Townsville

Today’s best flight deals from Cairns to Townsville

Cairns to Townsville: Overview

Insights for flights from Cairns to Townsville

How much is a round trip from Cairns to Townsville

The cheapest time to fly from Cairns to Townsville

Direct flights from Cairns to Townsville

Last-minute flights going from Cairns to Townsville

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

Popular Airports to fly from Cairns to Townsville

Cairns - Townsville route insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

February offers the lowest median price

Direct flights take 0h 55m

Connecting flights are dominant

Regional Express offers direct flights

Deals are rare for this route

Cairns main airports to depart from

Townsville main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby Townsville used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Townsville

Best Elite deals to Townsville

Dec 17

Dec 17

Dec 25

Feb 23

Jan 15

Feb 16

Feb 21

Jan 31

Feb 15

Feb 21

Jan 27

Jan 28

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Townsville

How can I find cheap flights from Cairns to Townsville?

When should I book flights from Cairns to Townsville?

Should I compare nearby airports for flights from Cairns to Townsville?

Are direct flights from Cairns to Townsville always the best option?

Can flexible travel dates help on Cairns to Townsville flights?

What extra costs should I check before booking Cairns to Townsville flights?

Related routes

More routes from Cairns

Flights to Townsville from other cities

Cairns to Townsville: Overview

Insights for flights from Cairns to Townsville

How much is a round trip from Cairns to Townsville

The cheapest time to fly from Cairns to Townsville

Direct flights from Cairns to Townsville

Last-minute flights going from Cairns to Townsville

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

Popular Airports to fly from Cairns to Townsville

Cairns - Townsville route insights

Recent fares are above the typical level

February offers the lowest median price

Direct flights take 0h 55m

Connecting flights are dominant

Regional Express offers direct flights

Deals are rare for this route

Cairns main airports to depart from

Townsville main airports to arrive at

Airports nearby Townsville used as alternative

Business & First Class Flight Deals to Townsville

Best Elite deals to Townsville

Dec 17

Dec 17

Dec 25

Feb 23

Jan 15

Feb 16

Feb 21

Jan 31

Feb 15

Feb 21

Jan 27

Jan 28

Frequently Asked Questions About Flights to Townsville

How can I find cheap flights from Cairns to Townsville?

When should I book flights from Cairns to Townsville?

Should I compare nearby airports for flights from Cairns to Townsville?