Cairns Airport opens lounge for Singapore Airlines flights
The remodelled lounge rolls out the welcome mat ahead of international flights from Cairns.
By David Flynn, April 11 2024
Executive Traveller exclusive
Cairns Airport once again has an international lounge to cater for overseas travellers, beginning with Singapore Airlines’ flights to Singapore.
After a $1m revamp, the long-shuttered Reef Lounge – which Executive Traveller understands may now have a new name – reopened last week, at the same time as Singapore Airlines ramped up its flights with a modern twin-aisle Airbus A350 jet.
A spokesperson for Cairns Airport tells Executive Traveller the lounge will initially be exclusively for Singapore Airlines business class passengers and frequent flyers – a cohort which includes Star Alliance Gold members.
However, the lounge is expected to roll out the welcome mat to other airlines in the coming months: those likely candidates would be Air New Zealand, which has a seasonal service to Auckland through to the end of October, and of course Virgin Australia’s daily flights to Tokyo.
The new Cairns international lounge.
The airport spokesperson added that pay-as-you-go access is also on the cards, although the rates for online or walk-up entry remain unknown.
Located just past the duty free shop at Cairns’ T1 International Terminal, the Reef Lounge was previously managed by Menzies Aviation and included in the Plaza Premium portfolio.
Beyond the lounge, Cairns’ international terminal is in the midst of its biggest upgrade in 30 years – boosting amenity and adding a more contemporary design, which the airport team says “reflects the dynamic atmosphere of Far North Queensland”.
Renders of the new-look Cairns International Terminal.
Earmarked for completion in mid-2024, phase one includes a refurb of the check-in and arrivals areas, plus the installation of four new glass aerobridges.
It’ll be followed by an overhaul of arrivals baggage facilities and an upgrade to the departures zone, with phase two starting mid-2024.
More to follow...
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
09 Feb 2015
Total posts 387
I look forward to trying this in a couple weeks when I fly to Singapore via Cairns from Brisbane. (Yes I know it’s the long way but I was able to get business on points last minute).
QF
11 Jul 2014
Total posts 1012
Interesting, is there a bigger thing happening here?
23 Oct 2014
Total posts 238
Travelled out of Cairns 6 months ago to TKO - and the terminal was very very tired. A shade of the hay day in 1980’s with 4 747’s and 2 767’s lines up, thousands for tourists entering a day, with a 200 seater Marina Mirage Hovercraft parked up for transfers to Port Douglas on water direct from arrivals hall, regardless of what anyone thinks the 1980 was the best decade for sure !
16 Feb 2024
Total posts 4
We travel to Cairns from Brisbane on a regular basis. The Virgin Lounge closed during the pandemic and has remained closed ever since. Do you know of any plans to reopen this lounge at any time? I am unable to get any response from Virgin.
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