Cairns Airport has reopened its international lounge, as Singapore Airlines introduces an Airbus A350 service.
If you’re planning an international flight from Cairns Airport, you might now be able to access a lounge before your flight according to a new report by Executive Traveller. And you might even have more of a chance of scoring a business class seat on Singapore Airline’s A350.
Singapore Airlines introduces A350
This coincides with the news that Singapore Airlines will be upgrading the aircraft servicing the Singapore to Cairns route. The larger Airbus A350 will now service the route, adding an extra 23,000 seats per year. The A350 can seat up to 303 passengers, with 40 business class lie-flat seats.
Previously the route was flown by the smaller Boeing 737 MAX 8 that only had 10 business class seats.
As a result of the change to the larger Airbus A350, the number of return flights per week has been reduced from five to four. However, given the aircraft is able to accomodate more passengers, the overall number of available seats is still set to increase.
International lounge reopens
Coinciding with the increased business class capacity, the international lounge has also now quietly reopened. Formerly known as the ‘Reef Lounge’, it was briefly managed by Menzies Aviation. It serviced customers heading overseas with Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and more.
The lounge was previously managed by Cathay Pacific, until they stopped flying to Cairns in 2019. Menzies Aviation stepped in at the last minute to takeover management of the lounge. However the lounge has been closed since COVID.
The Cairns Airport website has now been updated to reflect the lounge reopening. It says that following the $1 million remodelling the new space is now opening to partners “in a phased manner.”
The lounge will also open to travellers wanting to make a once-off payment in the “coming months”, Cairns Airport says.
Cairns International terminal is also undergoing a substantial modernisation and makeover. More than $40 million will be spent on the project, which has been running since early 2023.
Airlines including China Eastern and Virgin Australia have also recently re-commenced international routes from Cairns.
Updated 17th April, 2024: Update the article to reflect changes to the Cairns Airport website, which now states the lounge is undergoing a phased opening and will eventually support pay-as-you-go travel.