A short, direct flight service has commenced between Cairns and Hamilton Island, improving access between qualia on Hamilton Island and the four Luxury Lodges of Australia that are located close to Cairns: Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree Rainforest; Lizard Island, the northernmost island resort on the Great Barrier Reef; Orpheus Island Lodge & Pelorus Private Island further south in the Palm Island Archipelago; and Mt. Mulligan Lodge in Northern Outback Queensland.
The inaugural East Air service departed Cairns Airport at 9am on November 3, 2025, touching down just over an hour later on Hamilton Island, in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef.
Initially operating twice weekly, on Mondays and Fridays, the service is set to increase to three times weekly with a Sunday flight to be added to the schedule.
Flights have not operated between Cairns and Hamilton Island since the start of the COVID pandemic. At that time, almost 37,000 seats per year were carried between the two popular destinations.
With a drive time of approximately seven hours between Cairns and Airlie Beach, which is the closest mainland access point to Hamilton Island, the new service now allows guests to easily add a visit to Hamilton Island – and a stay at qualia – to an itinerary based out of Cairns. Or those already planning a stay at qualia can effortlessly incorporate a stay at Silky Oaks Lodge in the World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest or Mt. Mulligan Lodge in Northern Outback Queensland. Additionally, those looking to extend their Great Barrier Reef experience can now easily get from Hamilton Island to Lizard Island, or Orpheus Island Lodge & Pelorus Private Island, which are accessible via helicopter or light aircraft from Cairns.
