Flights Brisbane → Cairns
BNE → CNS
Route overview
The flight route connects Brisbane and Cairns, with flights operated by a mix of aircraft including the Boeing 737, Airbus A330-330, Airbus A320, and Embraer 190. The origin airport in Brisbane opened in 1988, while the destination airport in Cairns serves over 3.8 million passengers annually.
Your rights on this US flight (DOT)
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under the US DOT rules, if your flight is cancelled or significantly changed and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Amenities for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
US flight refund rules & checker →General information, not legal advice.
The Brisbane (BNE) → Cairns (CNS) route is operated by American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific. FlightGuard's average computed risk is 9.2/100 (low), updated in real time from weather, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel and flight history. At Cairns the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes (main cause: atfm). Departing from Brisbane the average ATFM delay is 2.0 minutes.
Heading to Cairns: what to expect in this direction
Flying from Brisbane (BNE) to Cairns (CNS) heads north-west for about 1,392 km, a flight time of roughly 2h 10m.
Air-traffic congestion: departing Brisbane the average ATFM delay is 2.0 min (atfm); arriving into Cairns it is 2.0 min (atfm).
Route facts
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Airline punctuality on this route
| Airline | On-time | Average delay | Cancellations |
|---|---|---|---|
| British Airways (BA) | 77% | 17 min | 2.4% |
| American Airlines (AA) | 74% | 16 min | 3.0% |
Airlines operating BNE-CNS
Airports
Frequently asked questions about BNE-CNS
Route-specific punctuality data isn't available yet. Check your flight on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis.
The cancellation rate varies by airline and season. Check your flight risk for an up-to-date estimate.
The route is operated by 3 airlines: American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific.
Enter your flight number on FlightGuard for a real-time analysis based on 9 factors: weather at Cairns, ATC delays, strikes, NOTAMs, fuel, airline punctuality and recent trends.
US flights have no statutory cash compensation for delays. Under US DOT rules, if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you decline rebooking, you're owed an automatic refund of the unused ticket. The tarmac-delay limit is 3 hours (domestic) / 4 hours (international). Meals or hotels for controllable delays depend on each airline's contract of carriage.
