CNS to MEL flight delays
3,201 flights · March 2025 – August 2026 · Australian Government BITRE
78.17%
Arrived on time
Within 15 minutes of schedule
0.84%
Cancelled
Share of scheduled flights
—
When late, late by
Average across delayed arrivals
—
Delay per flight
Averaged over every flight flown
What the record says about this route
The season swings this route hard. In March it ran 32.3 points more punctual than in November — a difference bigger than the one between the best and worst airlines on most routes. If the date is flexible, it is worth more than the carrier.
The 3 airlines here are separated by under 1 point — close enough to call a tie. Choose on price and departure time.
The Cairns to Melbourne route sits close to the middle of the record — neither notably punctual nor notably late.
Which airline should you fly on this route?
Over March 2025 – August 2026, Qantas arrived on time most often on CNS to MEL. Virgin Australia was late most often. Flights ran closest to schedule in April and worst in November.
Every airline on CNS to MEL
Ranked by how many flights each one operated. A carrier with fewer than 100 flights in the period is listed but not graded.
| Airline | Flights | On time | Cancelled | Avg delay | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jetstar | 1,446 | 78.33% | 1.38% | — | C |
| Virgin Australia | 1,162 | 77.77% | 0.52% | — | C |
| Qantas | 593 | 78.55% | 0.17% | — | C |
Month by month
Share of flights that arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, by month flown.
The return leg
MEL to CNS Melbourne back to Cairns 77.8% on time COther routes from Cairns
Common questions
Are flights from Cairns to Melbourne usually delayed?
78.17% of flights on the CNS to MEL route arrived within 15 minutes of schedule, so roughly 2 in every ten arrived late. That is about the same as the average route in this record.
Which airline is most on time from Cairns to Melbourne?
Qantas, at 78.55% on time across 593 flights. The least punctual on the route was Virgin Australia at 77.77%.
How often are CNS to MEL flights cancelled?
0.84% of scheduled flights did not operate — about 8 in every thousand. That is in the normal range.
What is the best month to fly Cairns to Melbourne?
March, when 91.4% of flights arrived on time. The worst was November at 59.1%.
What these figures do and do not tell you
Everything on this page is counted from the flights that actually operated on CNS to MEL during March 2025 – August 2026, as reported by the airlines to the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics. "On time" is the federal definition: arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of the scheduled time.
A route's record is a description of the past, not a forecast. Weather, air traffic control and the aircraft's earlier flights that day drive most delays, and none of them are predictable from a historical rate. What the record does tell you is whether this route runs late more often than others, and which carrier on it has the better history — which is the part you can actually act on when you book.
Cancellations are counted separately from delays because they are a different problem for a traveller: a late flight still gets you there. How the grade is calculated →