As one of the busiest domestic air routes not just in Australia but the world, many Aussie travellers and residents take flights from Melbourne to Sydney quite regularly, either for business or leisure.
At Remitly, we know that moving between major cities comes with plenty of logistics to navigate. That’s why we’ve put together a guide to explain how long a flight is between Melbourne and Sydney, help you compare the route’s available airlines, and understand what to expect along the way. Whether you’re visiting family or travelling for work, we’ll help make your Melbourne-Sydney journey smoother from start to finish.
What’s the direct flight time?
Travelling between Melbourne, Australia’s and Sydney, Australia’s two most populous cities, is extremely common for both tourists and residents. While you can make the journey by car, bus, or train, many people choose to fly.
Direct flight time between the two cities depends on whether you fly out of Melbourne Airport (MEL, also known as Tullamarine Airport) or Avalon Airport (AVV):
| Departure airport | Average flight duration | Distance covered |
| Melbourne Airport | 1 hour 25 minutes | 708 km |
| Avalon Airport | 1 hour 35 minutes | 758 km |
Overall, the average flight time between Melbourne and Sydney is 1 hour and 30 minutes. This is “gate-to-gate” time, which includes taxiing. The actual time in the air is about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
The short travel time between the two airports makes this flight convenient, whether you’re travelling for business or leisure. To compare, here’s how long the journey takes via other transport methods:
- Car: 9–11 hours, depending on stops and traffic, covering 877 km.
- Bus: about 12 hours, depending on your route.
- Train: about 10–11 hours, covering 866 km.
Which airlines fly direct from Melbourne to Sydney?
The flight from Melbourne to Sydney is the busiest air route in Australia and the fifth-busiest domestic route in the world, with over 9.2 million journeys made per year in 2025. It’s no surprise, then, that plenty of airlines offer direct flight options between the two cities.
Dozens of flights operate the route daily, and this increases during peak seasons. Flights depart regularly from early morning to mid-late evening.
The main domestic airlines on this route are:
- Jetstar
- Qantas
- Virgin Australia
The level of competition among operators on this route helps keep prices comparatively low. They usually range from $100–$210 AUD, but can be higher at peak times like Christmas or school holidays.
Let’s break down each airline a bit more.
Jetstar
Jetstar is Australia’s largest low-cost airline, owned by Qantas. Its main hub is Melbourne Airport. Terminal 4, the airport’s newest, is almost exclusively used by Jetstar flights.
As a low-cost airline, Jetstar has several fare options with different prices and benefits, which they call bundles. Let’s take a look at what their Melbourne to Sydney bundles offer, in ascending price order.
- Starter: basic fare, 7 kg carry-on bag.
- Starter plus: 7 kg carry-on and 20 kg checked bags, seat selection, and a meal, snack or in-flight food/drink voucher.
- Flex: 14 kg carry-on, seat selection, time and date change (fare differences may apply), flight cancellation with credit voucher.
- Flex plus: 7 kg carry-on and 20 kg checked bags, seat selection including extra legroom seats, meal, snack or food/drink voucher, and flexibility including origin and destination change.
With most fare packages, you can add checked bags, seat selections, or more food for an additional fee.
Jetstar’s planes typically don’t have as much legroom as other airlines, and passengers sometimes report that Jetstar’s staff can be strict about bag sizes and weights at the gates.
Qantas
Qantas is Australia’s flag carrier airline, and the largest in Australia by fleet size, flights, and destinations. Compared with Jetstar, Qantas flights generally offer a more comfortable experience, as it’s not a low-cost airline. It’s a member of oneworld Alliance, meaning you can redeem Avios points from other members to pay for Qantas flights.
Qantas offers Economy and Business class on MEL-SYD flights. Both classes include:
- In-flight meal (business) or snack (economy)
- Checked baggage up to 23 kg
- In-flight tea, coffee, and soft drinks
- Onboard wi-fi on some aircraft
- Seat selection
Depending on the plane you get, business class might even offer lie-flat seats in the future, as Qantas has new aircraft on order.
Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia is, at the end of 2024 when the last figures were available, Australia’s largest domestic airline by passenger market share. It offers “mid-range” amenities, between the budget Jetstar experience and the higher-end Qantas experience.
Virgin Australia offers four fare packages.
- Lite: 7 kg carry-on only.
- Choice: seat selection, 7 kg carry-on and 23 kg checked bags.
- Flex: same as Choice but with flexibility to make booking changes.
- Business: same perks as Flex but with better seats, a free in-flight meal, free lounge access, and much higher luggage allowance.
They also offer Economy X, which for an extra fee gets you more leg room, priority boarding and check-in, and designated overhead lockers. You can add Economy X while booking, or upgrade later.
Which airline should I take between Melbourne and Sydney?
Ultimately, because of the intense competition between the three airlines, no airline is always the cheapest or the “best.” Since the flight is so short, consider whichever airline is cheapest that day, keeping in mind any extras you may need to add to the base fare, and what time you need to fly.
Factors that can affect your total travel time
The flight itself may be short, but that 90 minutes is only a part of your journey, remember. Keep these factors that can make your experience longer or shorter in mind.
Getting to the airport
While Melbourne has good public transport, many people still drive, leading to lots of traffic during the busiest periods of the week. So plan ahead for possible delays when you decide what time to leave for the airport.
If you’re in the central business district (CBD), the SkyBus has a dedicated lane in some parts of the city, which makes getting to the airport faster. The service runs from Southern Cross Station to terminals one, three, and four. Buses run every 10–15 minutes from 4:00 am–1:00 am. The journey takes about 30 minutes, and tickets can be purchased online, on the SkyBus app, or at the stop.
If you live outside the city, SkyBus offers a Peninsula Express service to St Kilda, Frankston, and bayside suburbs.
Check-in and security
Factor in time for check-in, particularly if you’re checking luggage. If you can, check in and get your boarding passes online before your flight. Melbourne Airport recommends allowing at least one hour for check-in and security on domestic flights, though you may need more time during peak travel seasons.
Weather
Melbourne’s waterfront location means it has extremely variable, and sometimes severe, weather. Frequent cold fronts can cause strong winds, thunderstorms, hail, and heavy rain. These changes can happen multiple times in a day.
Sydney can get stormy in the summer and windy in late winter and early spring. It also often gets foggy in the morning. Poor weather conditions in either city can cause delays and cancellations.
Air traffic
As the Melbourne-Sydney route is so popular, flights can be delayed by several minutes or sometimes longer because of air traffic congestion or communication issues.
Whichever way you’re flying on the route, it’s always wise to give yourself some “wiggle room” in case of delay.
Choosing your airport: Melbourne vs. Avalon
Melbourne has two main airports, both offering direct flights to Sydney. Here, we’ll break down the airports and which best suits your needs.
Melbourne Airport (MEL)
Melbourne Airport, or Tullamarine Airport, is Melbourne’s main domestic and international airport, and the second-busiest airport for passenger traffic in Oceania—behind Sydney. It’s only 23 km from Melbourne’s CBD, which makes it easy to get to and from the city.
All three airlines with direct Melbourne-to-Sydney routes—Jetstar, Qantas, and Virgin Australia—operate flights on this route from this airport. It’s Jetstar’s home base and a major hub for Qantas and Virgin Australia. It’s an international airport too, so it’s convenient if you’re making any connections.
As such, MEL is open 24 hours a day and offers a full range of services, including plenty of dining options, lounges, shopping, airport hotels, and a duty-free zone. It’s certainly the better choice for international business travellers.
Avalon Airport (AVV)
Avalon is Melbourne’s “other airport” and Jetstar is the only commercial airline that operates flights there. While it’s considered a Melbourne-based airport, it’s actually closer to Geelong (15 km) than Melbourne’s CBD (50 km). SkyBus also runs to AVV, but the prices are higher than its MEL service.
If you don’t mind the extra trip or live closer to Geelong, however, AVV can offer an experience with less hassle. Flights and parking are cheaper here than in MEL. The airport is small and often uncrowded, so you can often go from your car to your gate in 30 minutes.
Facilities are limited, though, with only one cafe and a convenience store, so bring some snacks in case your flight is delayed.
Here’s a chart with an easy side-by-side comparison of the two airports:
| Melbourne (MEL) | Avalon (AVV) | |
| Distance from CBD | 23 km | 50 km |
| Typical time from CBD on Skybus | 30 minutes | 1 hour 10 minutes |
| Gates | 68 | 2 |
| Airlines with MEL-SYD service | 3 | 1 |
| Facilities | Lounges, restaurants, airport hotels, parking, rental cars, duty-free shopping. | Cafe, parking, rental cars, occasional promotions like free massage chairs, very limited shopping. |
| Hours | 24/7 | Based on scheduled flights |
Planning your trip with confidence
With multiple airlines, two departure airports, and one of the shortest major flight times in Australia, travelling between Melbourne and Sydney is straightforward once you know what to expect. Keeping factors like security times and weather in mind can help you handle delays and make the journey even smoother.
Now that you’ve got the key details covered, you’re ready to choose the option that fits your schedule and budget before heading off on Australia’s busiest air route. Safe travels!
FAQ
What’s the best time to fly from Melbourne to Sydney to avoid delays?
Early morning flights, typically before 9 am, are usually the most reliable. They’re less affected by delays that can build through the day. Tuesday–Thursday flights often run more on time than Friday or Sunday ones, for example.
How early should I arrive at the airport?
Plan to arrive at least 90 minutes before departure, especially if you need to check luggage. During peak periods like long weekends or Christmas, arrive two hours early. If you’re flying from Avalon, you may be able to arrive a little later, but you should still plan to arrive 60–90 minutes before, just in case.
Are MEL-SYD flights often delayed?
The route is busy and often suffers minor delays, especially during peak hours or if either city has bad weather. However, flights are extremely frequent and the airlines usually recover from any disruptions quickly. Expect 10–30 minute delays in most cases, not major cancellations.
Are there any tips for finding cheap fares between Melbourne and Sydney?
You can usually find cheap fares if you book three to six weeks in advance, fly midweek or midday, compare prices across airlines, are flexible with which of the two Melbourne airports you’re using, and set up email or app alerts for sales.