The airport dining stakes are now sky-high with elevated celebrity chef offerings, multicultural cuisines and stylish bars now de rigueur in most major hubs. However, one surprising city has scooped the top spot for airport dining in Australia.
SEO for Restaurants digital experts used data from airport websites, ratings and passenger traffic to find Cairns International Airport was the highest-ranked foodie hub among Aussie travellers.
Cairns topped the list for best airport dining with a score of 73.32 out of 100, well ahead of larger capital city counterparts Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
With its strategic location near popular attractions such as the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest, Cairns is a top drawcard and regional hub for domestic and international visitors. It is also Australia’s seventh-busiest airport for international passengers.
Cairns Airport was also named Major Airport of the Year 2024 at the Australian Airports Association (AAA) National Airport Industry Awards and Airport of the Year at the Australian Aviation Awards – both for the second consecutive year.
Cairns scored highest for both the number of unique (i.e. distinct brands) and overall amount of restaurants and food establishments per one million passengers and also offered a lower average price against other airports analysed.
SEO for Restaurants Founder & CEO Andrea Abbondanza said the findings were a testament to Cairns Airport’s commitment to promoting tropical flavours and fresh, local produce.
“What sets Cairns apart is its impressive variety of dining options, particularly for a regional airport. With 3.42 unique food establishments per million passengers, it offers more diversity than many larger airports,” she said.
Adelaide International Airport achieved second place, followed by Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast and Perth.
Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport scored the highest ranking for the average rating of restaurants and food establishments, followed by Brisbane.
After Cairns, Adelaide offered the most value with the second-lowest average food price, while Gold Coast and Perth passengers copped the highest average food prices as pricey snacks also hit air travellers’ hip pockets hard.
Discover the world’s best airports for dining here.
