$249+ Flights from South Island to Cairns | Cheapflights

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Cheap flight deals from South Island to Cairns

Round-trip from	$465
One-way from	$249

Jetstar

Jetstar
27/10-30/10
Nonstop
10h 30m total
South Island to Cairns

Jetstar

Jetstar
24/9
Nonstop
5h 35m total
South Island to Cairns

Find flight deals from South Island to Cairns

Cheapest flights from South Island to Cairns
Explore the most affordable flight options available from South Island to Cairns. Find the lowest fares from popular airlines and budget airlines, with prices last updated on 10 September 2025.

Mon 27/1008:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Thu 30/1022:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mJetstar

Deal found 8/9$465

Mon 22/907:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Sun 28/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mJetstar

Deal found 7/9$577

Mon 27/1016:05CHC - CNS

1 stop10h 00mMultiple Airlines

Thu 30/1022:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$727

Fri 24/1008:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Fri 31/1006:00CNS - CHC

2 stops24h 50mJetstar

Deal found 9/9$779

Fri 24/1008:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mMultiple Airlines

Fri 31/1017:35CNS - CHC

1 stop27h 50mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 9/9$850

Mon 22/917:45CHC - CNS

1 stop17h 30mMultiple Airlines

Sun 28/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 7/9$860

Tue 23/906:10CHC - CNS

1 stop12h 30mMultiple Airlines

Tue 30/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$880

Fri 24/1017:40ZQN - CNS

1 stop17h 50mVirgin Australia

Fri 31/1006:00CNS - ZQN

1 stop7h 40mVirgin Australia

Deal found 9/9$897

Sat 1/1115:55CHC - CNS

1 stop8h 05mMultiple Airlines

Tue 4/1122:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$921

Fri 24/1016:50ZQN - CNS

2 stops33h 00mMultiple Airlines

Fri 31/1015:50CNS - ZQN

2 stops22h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 9/9$1,165

Best flights from South Island to Cairns
Discover carefully curated flight deals from South Island to Cairns that have cost, travel time, and stopovers in mind to ensure you get the best travel experience. Data last updated 10 September 2025.

Mon 22/907:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Sun 28/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mJetstar

Deal found 7/9$577

Mon 22/917:45CHC - CNS

1 stop17h 30mMultiple Airlines

Sun 28/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 7/9$860

Fri 24/1017:40ZQN - CNS

1 stop17h 50mVirgin Australia

Fri 31/1006:00CNS - ZQN

1 stop7h 40mVirgin Australia

Deal found 9/9$897

Wed 24/906:20CHC - CNS

1 stop18h 45mQantas Airways

Tue 30/909:20CNS - CHC

1 stop13h 00mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,185

Tue 23/918:40CHC - CNS

2 stops42h 05mMultiple Airlines

Tue 30/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$911

Sat 25/1014:35ZQN - CNS

1 stop22h 40mVirgin Australia

Sat 1/1114:40CNS - ZQN

1 stop23h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 10/9$938

Sat 25/1013:40ZQN - CNS

1 stop22h 25mMultiple Airlines

Sat 1/1115:50CNS - ZQN

2 stops24h 50mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 10/9$922

Sat 25/1020:50ZQN - CNS

1 stop14h 30mJetstar

Sat 1/1106:00CNS - ZQN

3 stops31h 50mJetstar

Deal found 10/9$1,131

Fri 26/906:20CHC - CNS

1 stop18h 45mQantas Airways

Tue 30/918:50CNS - CHC

1 stop27h 30mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,244

Sat 1/1118:20CHC - CNS

1 stop17h 00mMultiple Airlines

Tue 4/1106:00CNS - CHC

1 stop15h 25mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$1,089

Tue 23/908:20CHC - CNS

1 stop16h 45mJetstar

Fri 26/909:45CNS - CHC

1 stop12h 25mJetstar

Deal found 8/9$1,266

Sun 21/906:00CHC - CNS

1 stop18h 50mQantas Airways

Tue 30/906:00CNS - CHC

1 stop16h 20mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,281

Direct flights from South Island to Cairns
Explore direct flight options from South Island to Cairns based on user searches, and compare prices and availability for your desired travel dates. Data last updated 10 September 2025.

Mon 27/1008:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Thu 30/1022:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mJetstar

Deal found 8/9$465

Mon 22/907:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Sun 28/922:55CNS - CHC

Nonstop4h 55mJetstar

Deal found 7/9$577

Last-minute flights from South Island to Cairns
Discover last-minute flight deals from South Island to Cairns. Data last updated 10 September 2025 and is based on user searches.

Sat 20/908:20CHC - CNS

1 stop14h 20mQantas Airways

Tue 30/906:00CNS - CHC

1 stop16h 20mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,278

Sat 20/906:10CHC - CNS

1 stop18h 40mQantas Airways

Sun 28/906:00CNS - CHC

1 stop15h 20mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,357

Sat 20/908:20CHC - CNS

2 stops16h 30mMultiple Airlines

Tue 30/906:00CNS - CHC

1 stop16h 20mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$1,362

Sat 20/906:10CHC - CNS

1 stop16h 45mQantas Airways

Fri 3/1006:00CNS - CHC

1 stop16h 20mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,441

Sat 20/906:10CHC - CNS

1 stop16h 45mQantas Airways

Sat 27/913:40CNS - CHC

1 stop8h 19mQantas Airways

Deal found 8/9$1,453

Sat 20/917:45CHC - CNS

1 stop21h 10mEmirates

Mon 29/917:20CNS - CHC

1 stop29h 00mEmirates

Deal found 8/9$1,478

Sat 20/916:40CHC - CNS

1 stop8h 10mMultiple Airlines

Wed 1/1005:45CNS - CHC

2 stops16h 25mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$1,480

Fri 24/1017:40ZQN - CNS

1 stop17h 50mVirgin Australia

Fri 31/1006:00CNS - ZQN

1 stop7h 40mVirgin Australia

Deal found 9/9$897

Fri 24/1016:50ZQN - CNS

2 stops33h 00mMultiple Airlines

Fri 31/1015:50CNS - ZQN

2 stops22h 00mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 9/9$1,165

Sat 25/1013:40ZQN - CNS

1 stop22h 25mMultiple Airlines

Sat 1/1115:50CNS - ZQN

2 stops24h 50mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 10/9$922

Sat 25/1014:35ZQN - CNS

1 stop22h 40mVirgin Australia

Sat 1/1114:40CNS - ZQN

1 stop23h 00mVirgin Australia

Deal found 10/9$938

Sat 25/1020:50ZQN - CNS

1 stop14h 30mJetstar

Sat 1/1106:00CNS - ZQN

3 stops31h 50mJetstar

Deal found 10/9$1,131

One-way flights from South Island to Cairns
Search for one-way flight options from South Island to Cairns. Find affordable one-way fares based on user searches. Data last updated 10 September 2025.

Wed 24/907:05CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Deal found 7/9$249

Wed 24/1208:20CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Deal found 10/9$308

Tue 3/209:15CHC - CNS

1 stop15h 50mJetstar

Deal found 9/9$412

Thu 2/1008:55ZQN - CNS

1 stop28h 45mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 7/9$438

Sat 7/316:10CHC - CNS

1 stop19h 55mJetstar

Deal found 8/9$441

Tue 23/1219:30ZQN - CNS

1 stop24h 10mVirgin Australia

Deal found 10/9$458

Tue 3/213:00CHC - CNS

2 stops11h 00mAir New Zealand

Deal found 9/9$465

Sat 7/313:00CHC - CNS

2 stops11h 00mAir New Zealand

Deal found 8/9$485

Tue 23/908:20CHC - CNS

1 stop16h 45mJetstar

Deal found 8/9$513

Wed 24/913:55CHC - CNS

2 stops22h 50mAir New Zealand

Deal found 7/9$515

Mon 5/108:20CHC - CNS

Nonstop5h 35mJetstar

Deal found 9/9$524

Sun 21/906:15CHC - CNS

2 stops42h 35mMultiple Airlines

Deal found 8/9$527

Cheapflights Fare Finder

Use the filters below to find and compare flights from South Island to Cairns that are best for you.

Fly from

Fly to

Route

Departure

Return

Price

ChristchurchCairns

CHC - CNS

CHCCNS

Christchurch

Mon 22/9

07:05-10:40

Nonstop5h 35m

Cairns

Sun 28/9

22:55-06:50

Nonstop4h 55m

$577

ChristchurchCairns

CHC - CNS

CHCCNS

Christchurch

Mon 22/9

17:45-09:15

1 stop17h 30m

Cairns

Sun 28/9

22:55-06:50

Nonstop4h 55m

$860

QueenstownCairns

ZQN - CNS

ZQNCNS

Queenstown Intl

Fri 24/10

17:40-08:30

1 stop17h 50m

Cairns

Fri 31/10

06:00-16:40

1 stop7h 40m

$897

ChristchurchCairns

CHC - CNS

CHCCNS

Christchurch

Tue 23/9

18:40-10:45

2 stops42h 05m

Cairns

Tue 30/9

22:55-06:50

Nonstop4h 55m

$911

QueenstownCairns

ZQN - CNS

ZQNCNS

Queenstown Intl

Sat 25/10

13:40-09:05

1 stop22h 25m

Cairns

Sat 1/11

15:50-19:40

2 stops24h 50m

$922

QueenstownCairns

ZQN - CNS

ZQNCNS

Queenstown Intl

Sat 25/10

14:35-10:15

1 stop22h 40m

Cairns

Sat 1/11

14:40-16:40

1 stop23h 00m

$938

ChristchurchCairns

CHC - CNS

CHCCNS

Christchurch

Sat 1/11

18:20-08:20

1 stop17h 00m

Cairns

Tue 4/11

06:00-00:25

1 stop15h 25m

$1,089

ChristchurchCairns

CHC - CNS

CHCCNS

Christchurch

Mon 27/10

09:15-09:05

2 stops26h 50m

Cairns

Thu 30/10

06:00-07:35

2 stops22h 35m

$1,113

QueenstownCairns

ZQN - CNS

ZQNCNS

Queenstown Intl

Sat 25/10

20:50-08:20

1 stop14h 30m

Cairns

Sat 1/11

06:00-16:50

3 stops31h 50m

$1,131

QueenstownCairns

ZQN - CNS

ZQNCNS

Queenstown Intl

Fri 24/10

16:50-22:50

2 stops33h 00m

Cairns

Fri 31/10

15:50-16:50

2 stops22h 00m

$1,165

Flights are sorted by cheapest return flights first.

Deals found on 7/9

Showing 1-10 of 34 results

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Best time to book a flight from South Island to Cairns

Have a flexible travel schedule? Discover the best time to fly to Cairns from South Island with our price prediction graph.

Estimated return price

Rates are based on past data. Find the cheapest month and day to book your flight based on your travel requirements, then search for cheap deals.

Cheapflights Insights

Everything you need to know about your flight from South Island to Cairns

What is the cheapest month to book a flight from South Island to Cairns?

Currently, July is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from South Island to Cairns (average of $459). Flying from South Island to Cairns in December is currently the most expensive (average of $642). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

What is the cheapest time of day to fly from EDG to CNS?

Regardless of the time of day you decide to fly, the ticket price will remain around the same. Book flights from South Island to Cairns as you normally would.

Reviews of airlines servicing Cairns

Read through reviews of airlines operating flights from South Island to Cairns, such as Emirates, Air New Zealand, andVirgin Australia. You can also see how each airline compares in terms of entertainment options, comfort, food, crew/service, and boarding process.

8.1

Very Good

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Umair,Jul 2024

LHE - DXB

Worst experience. The staff at the airport were unprofessional, uncourtious, disrespectful and straight up discriminating. I will never travel via emirates again. And the flight was delayed too.

8.1

Very Good

8.1

Very Good

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Umair,Jul 2024

LHE - DXB

Worst experience. The staff at the airport were unprofessional, uncourtious, disrespectful and straight up discriminating. I will never travel via emirates again. And the flight was delayed too.

Air New Zealand

8.0

Very Good

8.1

Very Good

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Umair,Jul 2024

LHE - DXB

Worst experience. The staff at the airport were unprofessional, uncourtious, disrespectful and straight up discriminating. I will never travel via emirates again. And the flight was delayed too.

Virgin Australia

7.6

Good

8.1

Very Good

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Umair,Jul 2024

LHE - DXB

Worst experience. The staff at the airport were unprofessional, uncourtious, disrespectful and straight up discriminating. I will never travel via emirates again. And the flight was delayed too.

7.5

Good

8.1

Very Good

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Umair,Jul 2024

LHE - DXB

Worst experience. The staff at the airport were unprofessional, uncourtious, disrespectful and straight up discriminating. I will never travel via emirates again. And the flight was delayed too.

6.5

Okay

8.1

Very Good

Reviews

1 / 20

2.0

Mediocre

Umair,Jul 2024

LHE - DXB

Worst experience. The staff at the airport were unprofessional, uncourtious, disrespectful and straight up discriminating. I will never travel via emirates again. And the flight was delayed too.

Related info for your journey

What airport do you fly into for flights to Cairns from South Island?
If you book a flight to Cairns from South Island, you will be flying to Cairns, which is the city’s only airport. Cairns (CNS) is located 4.4 km from the centre of Cairns.
How popular is this South Island to Cairns flight route?
This flight path from South Island to Cairns was viewed by 328 users in the past month. Keep an eye out for changes in search interest prior to high and low season.
How long is the flight from South Island to Cairns?
Airlines like Jetstar and Virgin Australia fly from South Island to Cairns in about 5h 35m. The time it takes to get you to your destination can typically vary by up to 12h 15m. There are 3883 km between South Island and Cairns. When browsing for deals, the options you’ll see will be for both direct flights and flights with stops.
What are the cheapest airlines to fly from South Island to Cairns one-way?
For one-way options, check prices for Jetstar. According to our data, you can fly for as low as $249. Users have also found prices from $468 and $485 on Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand, respectively.
What are the cheapest flights from South Island to Cairns?
On average you can expect to pay $492 for a flight from South Island to Cairns. The cheapest flight overall is $180 while the most popular route, (Christchurch - Cairns) is currently priced at $465.
Can I find deals for flights from South Island to Cairns that include hotel bookings?
Yes. In addition to deals on South Island to Cairns flights, Cheapflights offers holiday packages that include both flights and hotel.
How can I find direct flights from South Island to Cairns?
After entering your origin and destination, apply the non-stop filter on the search result page to find direct flights from South Island to Cairns.
Can I find deals for business class flights from South Island to Cairns?
Yes. Cheapflights offers flight deals from South Island to Cairns by cabin class. In addition to browsing deals, you can also filter by cabin class on the search results page after making a search.
What is the cheapest month to book a flight from South Island to Cairns?
Currently, July is the cheapest month in which you can book a flight from South Island to Cairns (average of $459). Flying from South Island to Cairns in December is currently the most expensive (average of $642). There are several factors that can impact the price of a flight, so comparing airlines, departure airports and flight times can provide users with more options.

See more FAQs

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Top 5 airlines flying from South Island to Cairns

Airline	Cheapest	Average	Flexibility	On-time
Jetstar	Cheapest$461	Average$607	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time74%	Search Jetstar flights
Qantas Airways	Cheapest$698	Average$1,064	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time74%	Search Qantas Airways flights
Virgin Australia	Cheapest$754	Average$938	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time80%	Search Virgin Australia flights
Air New Zealand	Cheapest$869	Average$1,002	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time78%	Search Air New Zealand flights
Emirates	Cheapest$1,059	Average$1,166	FlexibilityNo cancel fee	On-time75%	Search Emirates flights

Fly with Cheapflights

How does Cheapflights help users find flights from South Island to Cairns?

Cheapflights makes it easy to find South Island to Cairns flights by helping our users search from 900+ travel sites for deals. We also provide you with filters for cabin, price, airline, airports, number of stops, and many more to narrow down that perfect flight.

Why should you use Cheapflights to find cheap flight tickets from South Island to Cairns?

Cheapflights taps into our reliable network of hundreds of airlines and travel agencies to find the best deals for flights from South Island to Cairns for you. Better yet — we are completely free to use.

Can Cheapflights find flights from South Island to Cairns with no change fees?

Need flexible booking options for your flight to Cairns from South Island? Don’t worry, Cheapflights have you covered. Use our search filter to only show flights with no change fees.

Can Cheapflights notify me if prices for flights from South Island to Cairns become cheaper?

Not ready to book yet? You can track prices for flights from South Island to Cairns on Cheapflights with our Price Alert feature and get notified when better prices are available.

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