AviatDataCairns Airport CNS / YBCS
Cairns, Queensland · Australia · Cairns Airport Pty Ltd, trading as North Queensland Airports (NQA); as of Aug 2025 wholly owned (100%) by IIF Cairns Mackay Investment Ltd, advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. JPMorgan/IIF previously held 66% alongside TIF Airports Pty Ltd 27% (managed by Gardior Pty Ltd) and Perron Airports Holdings Pty Ltd 7%; after a 2025 sale process for the group drew bids below expectations, JPMorgan exercised a buy-out right over the TIF and Perron stakes rather than sell down its own position.
4.9Mpax · 2026
H24International · customs & immigrationJet A-1 · Avgas
ICAO / IATAYBCS / CNS
OperatorCairns Airport Pty Ltd, trading as North Queensland Airports (NQA); as of Aug 2025 wholly owned (100%) by IIF Cairns Mackay Investment Ltd, advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management. JPMorgan/IIF previously held 66% alongside TIF Airports Pty Ltd 27% (managed by Gardior Pty Ltd) and Perron Airports Holdings Pty Ltd 7%; after a 2025 sale process for the group drew bids below expectations, JPMorgan exercised a buy-out right over the TIF and Perron stakes rather than sell down its own position.
Coordinates16.8858°S, 145.7553°E
Elevation10 ft · 3 m
Time zoneAEST (UTC+10, no DST)
Passengers / yr4,915,245 (2026)
CustomsYes
Border controlYes
SchengenNo
FuelJet A-1 · Avgas
Bonded—
AIP referenceYBCS — AIP Australia (Airservices ERSA)
Airport mapT1 international and T2 domestic on separate aprons · reference only
Click to open the interactive map
Operating hoursH24. No curfew on scheduled/RPT operations; jet and >5,700kg-MTOW circuit training prohibited 2200-0700 local; non-RPT aircraft above 5,700kg (plus rotary wing, government and military aircraft) need 48hr PPR for GA/Domestic/International apron access; low-visibility takeoff not supported below RVR 800m.
TerminalsTwo terminals roughly 200m apart: T1 International (6 jet bridges; also handles the domestic legs of international itineraries) and T2 Domestic (5 jet bridges, 17 gates).
Runways (1)
- 15/33 · 3,196 m / 10,486 ft · 45 m wide · Asphalt (grooved) · ILS ILS CAT I (RWY 15 only; RWY 33 is non-precision LOC/PAPI)
Australia's principal gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and Tropical North Queensland, and the state's busiest airport outside Brisbane. Single-runway, security-controlled aerodrome (15/33, no parallel) with CAT I ILS on RWY 15 only; planners should note the runway strip width varies (180m/300m) and turn-pads are mandatory for aircraft with wingspan above 36m. Mixes dense domestic trunk/leisure traffic with regional and seasonal international services to PNG, the Pacific and Asia.
Services
Available
On request / PPR
Seasonal / ageing
Unconfirmed / not listed
Ground handling
Available · 4 providers
Swissport International AG
Passenger services and ramp handling for airlines at Cairns Airport; confirmed on Swissport's own CNS station page (AAC Building, Cairns Airport), with dedicated station email •••. Swissport won Qantas's outsourced ground-handling contract for Cairns in the December 2020 restructuring, per Australian Aviation and Qantas Newsroom.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Menzies Aviation
Ramp and baggage handling agent at Cairns Airport, including for Virgin Australia; confirmed via Menzies' own CNS network page ('we provide ground services and air cargo services') and recurring Virgin Australia ramp/baggage agent job postings based at 'Menzies Aviation, Cairns'.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft Turnaround Services (ATS)
Independently owned and operated fixed base operator performing aircraft turnaround services at Cairns Airport - baggage handling, check-in, and (per company site) pushback capability up to B767; CASA Certificate of Approval C522186 (ACN •••), confirmed on the company's own site.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Skytrans Australia
Self-handled, in-house Skytrans Australia - regional RPT/charter/ACMI airline headquartered at Cairns Airport (Airport Administration Centre, Caudron Ave), part of Avia Solutions Group; recurring Cairns-based ground-operations hiring indicates an in-house ramp/ground handling function for its own fleet, though no standalone third-party handling contract was found.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft fuel
Available · 3 providers
Ampol Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd
Joint participant (with BP and Viva Energy) in the joint-user aviation fuel hydrant installation (JUHI) at Cairns Airport, purchased/operated since 1994; confirmed via 2026 Supreme Court of Queensland reporting (acapmag.com.au, Cairns Post, Queensland Courts case Cairns Airport Pty Ltd v Ampol Australia Petroleum Pty Ltd [2026] QSC 69) on the ownership dispute between the three fuel companies and Cairns Airport Holdings over this refuelling infrastructure.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
BP Australia
Joint participant (with Ampol and Viva Energy) in Cairns Airport's joint-user hydrant refuelling installation, operating since 1994; per 2026 court reporting on the airport's fuel infrastructure ownership dispute.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Viva Energy Australia
Joint participant (with Ampol and BP) in Cairns Airport's joint-user hydrant installation since 1994, and separately offers its 'Jet Valet' premium into-plane business-jet refuelling service (Jet A-1/Jet Plus) at Cairns; confirmed on Viva Energy's own Jet Valet locations page, which lists CAIRNS (CNS) with service hours 06:00-18:00 daily.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
De-icing
Not listed
Part-145 line maintenance
Available · 2 providers
Jet Aviation Cairns
Business-aircraft maintenance and avionics support at Cairns Airport; maintenance contact Brendan Diver (•••) and avionics contact Stephen Metcalfe (•••), shared line •••, per Jet Aviation's own Cairns location page. · Mon-Fri 08:00-16:40
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Skytrans Australia
In-house engineering base at Cairns Airport (B1 LAME roles advertised 'in Cairns') supporting Skytrans' own Dash 8 turboprop and Airbus A319 fleet, per the airline's own careers listings.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Part-145 base maintenance
Available · 2 providers
Integrated Aviation Maintenance
Family-owned hangar-based aircraft maintenance business at Cairns Airport (Hangar 9, Tom McDonald Dr, Aeroglen 4870), servicing piston and turbine types including Aero Commander 500, Cessna Caravan, Beech 1900D, King Air B200 and Cessna 402, per the company's own site. · Mon-Fri 07:30-16:00
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Skytek Pty Ltd
CASA (AUS CAR 30 / Part 145, cert ARN 763297 CASA.145.0191), PNG Part •••) and Indonesia DGCA Part 145 (145F-677) approved heavy and line maintenance for rotary and fixed-wing aircraft at Hangar 10, Tom McDonald Drive, General Aviation, Cairns QLD 4870 (Bell 206/407/212/412, Eurocopter AS350, Sikorsky S76 helicopters; King Air B200, DHC-6 Twin Otter, ATR42, EMB120), per the company's own site and published approval certificates.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Component shops & overhaul
Not listed
Flight catering
Available · 2 providers
ActiveSky Aviation Services
Local Cairns-based airline catering, cabin servicing, retail solutions and provisioning for regional, domestic and international commercial airlines and private charter, available 24/7; per the company's own site (activesky.com.au), which states 'these services are available 24 hours, seven days per week'. · 24/7
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
dnata catering
Flight-kitchen catering facility at 226 Catalina Cresent, Cairns Airport, Aeroglen QLD 4870, per third-party business directory listings (address and phone number consistent across multiple independent directories); part of dnata Catering & Retail's national Australian network (dnata acquired Qantas's catering business, which included the former Alpha Flight Services network), though not independently confirmed on dnata's own site as one of its named Australian ports.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft cleaning
Available
Cabin Services Australia
Aircraft interior/exterior cabin cleaning, waste management, disinfection and cabin dressing aligned with airline turnarounds; Cairns is one of the airside-office ports on Cabin Services Australia's own network, with a named Cairns station contact (Shirlee Wells) on the company's own site.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Ground support equipment
Available · 2 providers
Aircraft Turnaround Services (ATS)
GSE maintenance, GPU rental, and potable water/lavatory servicing for aircraft at Cairns Airport, per the company's own site.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Australian Airport Services (AAS)
GSE leasing, rental and maintenance provider headquartered in Cairns (55 Scott Street, Bungalow QLD 4870) servicing airlines/airports across regional and metro Australia; named contact Damien Berg per the company's own site.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Cargo handling
Available · 2 providers
Menzies Aviation
Virgin Australia's cargo handling partner at Cairns, operating from Building 77, Caudron Avenue, Cairns Airport QLD 4870 (per virginaustralia.com cargo network page); Menzies also opened an expanded dedicated cargo facility at Cairns per Ground Handling International trade press.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Air Freight Handling Services (AFHS)
Qantas Freight's domestic and international terminal handling agent at Cairns Airport, operating the Regional Trade Distribution Centre at 1 Caudron Avenue, Cairns Airport QLD 4870; confirmed on freight.qantas.com's Cairns terminal pages and in local press profiling AFHS managing director Barbara Ford, who has run the operation over 20 years. · Lodgement/collection: weekdays 05:30-18:00, weekends/holidays 07:00-15:00; closed Christmas Day
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aviation security
Available
Trident Services Australia
24/7 aviation security contractor at Cairns Airport covering passenger and carry-on baggage screening, checked-bag and freight screening, airside inspection, aircraft and general guarding, and ASIC/visitor-pass issuing authority; documented in Trident's own published Cairns Airport case study ('Trident Services delivers a 24/7 non-stop Aviation Security service to Cairns Airport'). · 24/7
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Passenger & crew transport
Available · 5 providers
Avis Car Rental
On-site car hire counter in the Arrivals Hall at both T1 (International) and T2 (Domestic), Cairns Airport, per the airport's own car-hire page.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Budget Rent a Car
On-site car hire counter at Cairns Airport T2 (Domestic terminal only); Cairns Airport's own car-hire page states the listed companies are in the Arrivals Hall of both T1 and T2, 'Budget is only located at T2'.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Hertz
On-site car hire counter in the Arrivals Hall at both T1 (International) and T2 (Domestic), Cairns Airport, per the airport's own car-hire page.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Europcar
On-site car hire counter inside the terminal building at Cairns Airport, per the airport's own car-hire page and Europcar's own Cairns Airport rental-guide page.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Thrifty Car Rental
On-site car hire counter in the Arrivals Hall at Cairns Airport, per the airport's own car-hire page.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Flight support
Available · 3 providers
Swissport International AG
Executive Aviation desk (charter/VIP ground services) at Cairns Airport per Swissport's own CNS page; contact •••, •••.
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Jet Aviation Cairns
24-hour FBO at Cairns Airport since 2018 (former Hawker Pacific FBO, rebranded), IS-BAH Stage 2 certification registered, member of the Air Elite Network; FBO contact Oilau Mulitalo, per Jet Aviation's own Cairns location page. · 24 hours, Mon-Sun
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Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Aircraft Turnaround Services (ATS)
Locally owned, independent FBO operating at Cairns Airport; enquiries via office phone (••• per the company's own site.
Contact details available to subscribersYour company? Subscribe · Founding Member Price €199/yr
Verified 2 weeks ago · unconfirmed source
Hotel & travel
Not listed