Cairns Airport has launched a major retail tender for the first time in 10 years following a $55 million transformation of its international terminal.
The wide-ranging Request for Tender (RFT) relates to multiple sites within both the international (T1) and domestic (T2) terminals, offering more than 2500m2 of space for duty free, retail, and food and beverage opportunities.
Cairns Airport (owned and operated by North Queensland Airports) is one of Oceania’s leading regional airports, and the seventh largest airport in Australia by passenger volume, welcoming more than five million each year.
It is also the world’s gateway to two natural UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites – the Great Barrier Reef and Wet Tropics rainforests, which are key tourism drawcards. International passenger figures at Cairns Airport have recovered to levels not seen since 2008, servicing direct flights to Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Bali, Port Moresby and Fiji along with a strong domestic network covering capital cities and regions throughout Australia.
Chief Executive Officer Richard Barker said retail operators at Cairns Airport were exposed to an exciting mix of passengers, with enviable dwell times and some of the best performing Passenger Spend Rates (PSR) among Australian airports.
“Historically, we have always punched above our weight in terms of PSR, outperforming not only our peer regional airports but indeed many of the larger capital city ports,” he said.
“The overhaul of our international terminal has enhanced passenger facilities throughout the entire journey, including in the retail, dining and seating areas. These changes, including the creation of a central dwell zone, will enable 100 per cent passenger exposure across the entire retail offer, in a fresh and welcoming environment.
“Our domestic terminal underwent a major expansion in 2023, and it now boasts more than 3,700m2 of retail and dining space. A few select opportunities are also available in this highly desirable retail environment.
“We are inviting tenders from all interested parties, from individual store and category-level through to full master concession arrangements.”
The RFT features a swathe of desirable spaces across the two terminals, including:
• T1 departures and arrivals duty free concession, totalling 1000m2
• T1 retail concessions including emporiums, boutiques and pop-ups, totalling 600m2
• T1 food and beverage concessions, more than 400m2 across multiple sites with options for hybrid retailing and optional licensed seating areas
• T2 specialty retail concessions, totalling 275m2
• T2 landside food and beverage concession of 228m2
Wednesday 27 May 2026
Mr Barker said the vibrancy of Tropical North Queensland was an important cornerstone of Cairns Airport’s retail offer.
“This is a unique, dynamic and picturesque destination with a distinctive identity,” he said.
“We are seeking partners who can create compelling duty free, retail and dining offers that reflect the character of our region while providing the options, variety, and global brands expected in a leading travel retail environment.”
Interested parties are invited to contact General Manager of Operations and Commercial Alicia Prince to register their interest and learn more about the opportunities – [email protected].
