Cairns Airport

Domestic ~1 hour with bags when quiet; international 2–3 hours; no sterile transfer between T1 and T2.

Airport domestic-departures copy recommends arriving at least ~1 hour before a bagged domestic departure (~30 minutes carry-on only when calm). International departures copy recommends 2–3 hours for check-in, outbound border control, and security. School holidays, reef-tourism peaks, and wet season weather can stack both halls. Same-day domestic↔international always re-clears landside via the covered walk — budget walking time plus full re-screening.

Confirm T1 vs T2 before curb drop; QF1–399 international, QF400+ domestic.

Qantas publishes the flight-number split clearly: QF1–QF399 use T1 International; QF400+ use T2 Domestic. Jetstar, Virgin Australia, and most regionals are T2. International carriers (Singapore Airlines, Cathay, Air Niugini, etc.) are T1. The buildings look close on the map — they are still separate security / CIQ environments.

Qantas Club only for soft product; Escape/PP gone — plan terminal food.

Without Qantas Club / Business / status entitlement you are in the public terminal. T2 Domestic has the denser café and retail set after the 2019–20 departure-hall upgrade; T1 International is thinner outside peak banks. Landside sealed water and cafés before security are usually better value than deep airside.

Escape/PP closed 22 Jul 2026; only Qantas Club Domestic remains listed.

Escape Lounge (T1 airside opposite Gates 2–3), which opened March 2025 in the former Reef / Qantas Club international footprint and took Priority Pass, closed permanently on 22 Jul 2026 per Priority Pass. The airport’s own lounges page now lists only Qantas Club Domestic. Screenshot that before you fly if your credit-card lounge benefit was your only plan.