Cairns International Airport

Cairns, Queensland (Australia)

IATA: CNS ICAO: YBCS

Longest Active Runway

10,489 ft

3,197 meters

Field Elevation

10 ft

3 m MSL

Runway Inventory

1 active

1 closed, Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

-16.8789°, 145.7495°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

Ranking Universes Guide →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

#496 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#796 of 7558

Top 10.5% percentile worldwide

National Standing (Australia)

#6 in AU

#8 of 537 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+4.9%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 Statistical Statement: Cairns International Airport's longest active runway measures 10,489 ft (3,197 m). Within RunwayFacts' published index of 650 aerodromes, it ranks #496. Across the broader global dataset of 7558 commercial facilities, it ranks #796 worldwide (Top 10.5%) and #6 nationally in Australia.

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Comparative aviation metrics evaluated against regional and global physical operational criteria.

ICAO Code 4D / 4E Heavy Intercontinental

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Elevation & Atmospheric Density

Lowland / Coastal Basin Aerodrome

Positioned at 10 ft (3 m MSL), this aerodrome operates near standard International Standard Atmosphere (ISA) sea-level air density. High ambient air pressure provides optimal turbine thrust conversion, maximum wing lift coefficients, and minimal ground roll distance requirements, allowing long-haul flights to depart at maximum structural takeoff weight limits without atmospheric density penalties.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

0 Qualifying Aerodromes in Vicinity

With no qualifying commercial facilities with paved runways ≥5,000 ft within a 100 NM radius, Cairns International Airport functions as an isolated regional aviation hub. Scheduled air services and transiting aircraft must calculate extended diversion reserves to alternate airfields outside the immediate 100 NM quadrant.

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Fleet Compatibility & Ground Roll

Primary Runway: 10,489 ft (3,197 m)

At 10,489 ft (3,197 m), the primary runway comfortably accommodates mid-to-large twin-aisle widebody transports (such as the Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A330-900) as well as maximum-range narrowbody transcontinental configurations (Airbus A321XLR and Boeing 737 MAX 9) under typical atmospheric conditions.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
15/33	10,489 ft (3197m)	148 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active
12/30	3,035 ft (925m)	60 ft (18m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	❌ Unlighted	⛔ Closed

🛡️ Data Provenance & Verification Metadata

Source Dataset: OurAirports Open Aviation Database

Snapshot Version: 2026-09-01

Dataset Integrity: Cryptographic SHA-256 Checksum Verified & Fail-Closed Schema Inspected

Source Verification: Source-reported registry data

Read Complete Methodology & Verification Protocol → GET /api/airport/cns.json ↗