Cairns Airport has welcomed the return of direct flights to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific this month, along with an additional Singapore Airlines service commencing in mid-2026, boosting connectivity to Asia and inbound visitation to the Great Barrier Reef, Tropical North Queensland and beyond.
Cathay Pacific returned for its second consecutive seasonal service on 9 December 2025, operating thrice-weekly direct flights on its Airbus A330 between Cairns and Hong Kong until 28 February 2026.
The service delivers more than 20,000 seats across the season, injecting around AUD$18 million in visitor spend in the region, along with onward connections to mainland China, India, Europe and the UK.
Singapore Airlines has also announced a renewed 2026 schedule with more flights to Cairns on an additional Airbus A350 widebody jet, upping weekly services to five between 6 July and 27 September.
A daily direct Singapore Airlines Cairns–Singapore service will commence from 1 December 2026, moving from four flights per week to seven on a Boeing B737-8 aircraft.
The moves will improve connectivity during the busy mid-year and end-of-year peak travel seasons, offering flexibility for Cairns travellers and opening up Tropical North Queensland for the growing India and South-East Asia markets.
It also comes as Cairns welcomed 2,800 Amway Korea delegates on chartered Korean Air and Asiana Airlines flights from 17 November to 7 December 2025, opening the door to potential new aviation partnerships for the TNQ hub.
In addition, Air Niugini will start operating its new Airbus A220 aircraft to Cairns, adding up to 65,000 extra seats annually.
Australia’s fastest-growing international passenger hub hit a record 760,000 travellers in FY25 and expects more than 120,000 international and 675,000 domestic pax in December and January.
For more info, head to cairnsairport.com.au
