Cairns International Airport is located in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, and is the sixth busiest airport in the country. The airport has been in operation since 1924, when the first airstrip was built for the Royal Australian Air Force. It was initially used for military purposes, but in the early 1960s, the airport was opened to commercial traffic.

The airport was originally known as Cairns Airport, but in the late 1990s it was renamed Cairns International Airport to better reflect its expanding international services. The name was chosen to reflect the airport’s connection to the global aviation network, as well as its links to the tropical paradise of North Queensland.

The airport’s code, CNS, was determined by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The code is derived from the airport’s original name, which is an abbreviation of its location in Cairns, Queensland.

Today, Cairns International Airport serves over 5 million passengers per year, with an average of about 60 flights per day. The airport is served by a number of major airlines, including Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Rex Regional Express, and Tiger Airways Australia. The airport is also well connected to domestic and international destinations, with flights to major cities in Australia, as well as to popular international destinations such as Singapore, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

The airport has also become a major hub for tourism in the region, with many tourists arriving in Cairns to explore the nearby Great Barrier Reef, the Daintree Rainforest, and the Port Douglas region. The airport also serves as a gateway to the remote Cape York Peninsula and the Torres Strait Islands.

Cairns International Airport continues to be a key part of North Queensland’s economy and infrastructure, as well as a major factor in the region’s tourism industry. The airport’s commitment to providing a safe, efficient, and reliable service to passengers has seen it grow to become one of the busiest airports in Australia.