Cairns International Airport has a coastal location on the northern fringe of Cairns CBD and was voted fourth from 550 contenders as the best regional airport in the 2019 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

A view of Cairns International Airport at night. Credit: Cairns Airport

Where

Cairns International Airport has a coastal location on the northern fringe of Cairns CBD.

Airport code & website

CNS and cairnsairport.com.au

Terminals

Arriving at Terminal 1. Credit: Fiona Harper

Cairns international terminal (T1) and Cairns domestic terminal (T2) are easily accessible to each other via a covered external walkway. Cairns Airport was voted fourth from 550 contenders as the best regional airport in the 2019 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

Lounge access

T1 Reef Lounge is open to Air Niugini Executive Club gold members on presentation of valid membership card. It’s open daily, from 4.30am to 3pm. Food and drinks are available. Facilities include showers, work stations and luggage storage. Virgin and Qantas lounges are located in T2.

Distance to CBD

The airport is just six kilometres from the Cairns CBD.

Taxis & car hire

All the major hire car companies (Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Hertz, Europcar and Redspot) are represented with counters at both T1 and T2. Taxi ranks are located outside each terminal and it costs approximately $AUD20 (about K45) to the city.

Other transport

Uber operates from T1 and T2. Sun Palm Transport (sunpalmtransport.com.au) operates the only accredited airport shuttle service to the CBD, northern beaches and Port Douglas. Airport Connect is a bus service that links the airport with the city’s public bus network.

Wi-Fi

Free Wi-Fi is available in 60-minute blocks at T1 and 30-minute blocks at T2, via the ‘Airport Free Wi-Fi’ network.

What else

Volunteer airport ambassadors rove the terminals ready to help travellers find their way. Look out for their aquamarine shirts if you need assistance.

Favourite corner

Public artwork at Cairns International Airport. Credit: Fiona Harper

Cairns Airport is small enough that it’s easy to go outside to breathe in the fresh tropical air. Enjoy the public artwork in the form of a stand of beautifully etched cast aluminium termite mounds outside T2, crafted by Aboriginal artist Thanakupi.

Shops

T1 has a duty-free outlet along with a small selection of retail stores selling souvenirs, handcrafts, clothing, books and magazines. Food and beverage outlets circle the departure lounge and boarding gates. T2 has clothing, book, confectionery and pharmacy outlets.

Closest hotel

Downtown Cairns is your best bet to find nearby hotels. The newest five-star hotel is Riley—a Crystalbrook Collection Resort overlooking the waterfront, but there are plenty of tried-and-true favourites such as the Pullman, Doubletree by Hilton, Shangri-la and Novotel within the city precinct.

Food & drink

T2 is undergoing an upgrade, with 13 new food and beverage outlets planned from vendors who have been awarded space for creatively incorporating local produce in their menus. With improvements to be completed by the end of 2020, in the meantime a central food court has fast food outlets, a bar and cafes. An external garden is available for smokers.

Air Niugini flies from Port Moresby to Cairns daily.
See airniugini.com.pg

This story was first published in Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini.