MEL → DRWMelbourne to Darwin

live

Direct flights from Melbourne (MEL) to Darwin (DRW): 21 nonstop departures observed each week across 3 airlines. The median arrival is 5 minutes late. No cancellations were recorded across the 1 tracked flight. The nonstop covers 3,132 km, an estimated 4 hours 31 minutes in the air. Measured by Pro Flight Search from live flight boards at Melbourne and Darwin. Updated 14 September 2026 at 03:37 UTC.

MEL Melbourne smooth · +9
DRW Darwin smooth · +0
3,132 km · ~4h 31m est.
dep bank 08:40–20:5021x weekly
Running clean · 3 airlines · 21x weekly · nonstop
71 / 100

route health from live MEL and DRW delay boards

Median arrival delay is +5 min. 0 of 1 tracked legs cancelled in the sample. Will a delayed flight be cancelled? →

Median arrival+5 minacross the last 1 operated legs
Flight time~4h 31mestimated from route distance
Weekly departures21x3 direct airlines on the leg

The week

scheduled departures · origin local time
06121824
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Jetstar AirwaysSunstate AirlinesVirgin Australia

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
Jetstar AirwaysJQ

Flights JQ678 13:15 daily

Sunstate AirlinesQF

Flights QF834 08:40 Sa Su · QF836 11:55 Mo Th Sa · QF838 20:50 Mo Tu We Fr Su

Virgin AustraliaVA

Flights VA1459 10:50 daily

History

operated legs · board outcomes
09-13JQ678arrived+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
MELMelbourne +9 min smooth ⛅ mostly cloudy · SSW 7 kt Full MEL delay board →
DRWDarwin +0 min smooth 🌤 clear · E 8 kt Full DRW delay board →

Weather lens

Current conditions put the pressure at MEL: 39% odds of a 15+ minute delay and around +11 min expected when it bites, measured from this route's own weather-matched delay history. See live delays → · Weather risk by airport →

How the Melbourne to Darwin route actually runs

Pro Flight Search records official board updates for nonstop MEL 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 — Melbourne (MEL) to Darwin (DRW) route reliability, measured from operated flights on official airport boards.

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

MEL to DRW questions

Is MEL–DRW running on time right now?

Mostly on schedule. The departure side at MEL is the weaker end, route health score 71/100. The airports section above carries the live status and delay window at both ends.

Morning or evening flight on MEL–DRW?

Operators schedule morning departures around 08:40 and evening departures around 20:50 from MEL. 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 MEL to DRW?

Great-circle distance is 3,132 km. With typical jet cruise speed plus taxi, climb and descent, expect roughly 251–298 min gate-to-gate on this route.

How often does MEL–DRW fly?

3 carriers operate this route, around 24 flights a week between them. Compare carrier days and times in the airline list above.