CNS → DRWCairns to Darwin

live

Direct flights from Cairns (CNS) to Darwin (DRW): 7 nonstop departures observed each week across 1 airline. The median arrival is 170 minutes late. No cancellations were recorded across the 2 tracked flights. The nonstop covers 1,675 km, an estimated 2 hours 39 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Cairns and Darwin. Updated 21 September 2026 at 12:37 UTC.

CNS Cairns smooth · +10
DRW Darwin smooth · +9
1,675 km · ~2h 39m est.
dep bank 10:45–14:407x weekly
Running clean · 1 airline · 7x weekly · nonstop
86 / 100

route health from live CNS and DRW delay boards

Median arrival delay is +170 min. 0 of 2 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →

Median arrival+170 minacross the last 2 operated legs
Flight time~2h 39mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures7x1 direct airline on the leg

The week

scheduled departures · origin local time
06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Sunstate Airlines

Each mark is a scheduled departure at its origin-local time, observed operating in the last 7 days. Today is highlighted.

Who flies it

observed on the boards · 7 days
Sunstate AirlinesQF

Flights QF1980 10:45 daily · QF1852 14:40 Mo Fr

History

operated legs · board outcomes
09-21QF1852dep +10 → arr+170
09-21QF1980dep +0 → arr−5

Actual board outcomes rather than schedules, paired departure and arrival per flight and day.

Full board history, day by day →

Airports right now

live boards
CNSCairns +10 min smooth 🌤 clear · S 8 kt Full CNS delay board →
DRWDarwin +9 min smooth 🌤 clear · WSW 4 kt Full DRW delay board →

Weather lens

Current conditions put the pressure at CNS and DRW: 27% odds of a 15+ minute delay and around +3 min expected when it bites, measured from this route's own weather-matched delay history. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →

How the Cairns to Darwin route actually runs

Pro Flight Search records official board updates for nonstop CNS to DRW flights through the day: schedules, estimates, gate pushes and actual departures. The verdict above comes from operated flights, so it reflects what this route does rather than what the timetable promises.

Planning around a delay? Live airport delays · Weather delay risk map · Will a delayed flight be cancelled? · Do planes make up time in the air? · How we measure

Cite this data

Journalists, bloggers, and researchers may cite this page with attribution and a link to Pro Flight Search.

Suggested citation

Pro Flight Search — Cairns (CNS) to Darwin (DRW) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.

Canonical URL
https://proflightsearch.com/search-flights/CNS-DRW
How we measure this →

CNS to DRW questions

Is CNS–DRW running on time right now?

Smooth skies ahead. Both endpoints currently score the same, route health score 86/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.

Morning or evening flight on CNS–DRW?

Operators schedule morning departures around 10:45 from CNS. Earlier flights typically land before destination-airport delays accumulate later in the day; check the DRW delay card to confirm conditions when you'd arrive.

How long is the flight from CNS to DRW?

Great-circle distance is 1,675 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 148–174 min gate-to-gate on this route.

How often does CNS–DRW fly?

Sunstate Airlines runs the route with about 9 flights a week (daily). Since one carrier owns the route, a single disruption tends to ripple through the day.