12-08-2025
The least convenient Australian airports revealed
Canberra Airport. Picture by Karleen Minney
By Carla Mascarenhas
Updated August 12 2025 - 5:05pm, first published 4:32pm
Canberra Airport has been crowned the most convenient Australian airport.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
All articles from our website
The digital version of Today's Paper
All other in your area
Townsville and Canberra airports landed joint first on the index, in a large part due to their smaller-sized terminals that ensured only a short walk to a gate.
They also had cheaper weekly airport parking at $178 and $190, respectively.
Travel insurance comparison site iSelect also found Canberra Airport had the most affordable transportation costs to get to the airport.
The airport is only 7.4km from the CBD, with a taxi costing roughly $28. Public transport was also a cost-efficient option with a bus costing about $5.15.
The study ranks Australia's major airports on convenience and ease of access.
These include the average cost of airport parking, transport and taxi costs, distance from the city's central business district, number of daily passengers and average queuing time.
Cairns, Darwin and Adelaide airports rounded out the top five most convenient Australian airports. The least convenient airport is named
Melbourne Airport was the least convenient airport in Australia.
It had the second-highest average cost for a week of parking at $291, in addition to the second-highest average cost for transport.
The SkyBus from Southern Cross Station costs $24.60 one way and a taxi costs between $55-$70.
Melbourne Airport is also more than 20km from the CBD and has no train option.
Sydney Airport didn't fare much better, ranking second last on the convenience index.
Notably, Sydney had the highest average weekly parking cost at $343.
Gold Coast and Brisbane airports also scored low on the index, tying at third last.
Brisbane had the highest transport costs with an average of $48 from the CBD. It has two options: the AirTrain, which costs $18.96, if tickets are bought online, or a taxi to Brisbane city, costing anywhere between $67 and $82.
Words by Carla Mascarenhas
Carla Mascarenhas is the NSW correspondent covering breaking news, state politics and investigations. She is based in Sydney. Contact her on
