Australia’s best airports for parking and convenience

Getting to the airport and to your gate on time can be one of the more stressful parts of a holiday, especially when you factor in parking, public transport costs and availability before you arrive.

To help Australian travellers start their trip more easily, travel insurance comparison iSelect has updated its Airport Convenience Index, comparing 11 major Australian airports across key factors including parking costs, availability, transport costs, distance to the CBD, passenger volumes and airport size.

The 2026 findings reveal a new top-ranked airport, and rising parking costs at several major airports, which could make travellers rethink their journey options to the airport before they take off.

Australian Airport Convenience Index

Which Australian airports ranked best for convenience? 

Cairns has taken the top spot in our 2026 airport convenience index, achieving the highest index score of 7.78 out of 10. As a less populated city, Cairns Airport benefits from being just 5.7km from the city centre, the shortest distance in our index. The average transport cost is $20 (public transport and taxi costs combined), while parking at the airport costs $176.67; both recorded no price increase from the previous year. Cairns Airport experienced a 1% decrease in passenger numbers, making the airport somewhat quieter with fewer people travelling in the past year.   

Darwin Airport was ranked second most convenient in Australia according to iSelect’s research, being a less populous location with cheaper parking and public transport options compared to some other cities. A taxi to the city would cost an average of $32.50, but it was offset by free public transport if you caught the bus. Daily passengers at the airport increased by 4% to an estimated 5,296 travellers per day.   

Canberra Airport was ranked third; the nation’s political hub benefits from the cheapest average transport costs at $14 (the lowest in the study), and weekly parking costs were just under $200, up just 4% from the previous year. 

Which Australian airports are the least convenient? 

Melbourne ranked last, with an airport convenience index score of 2.44 out of 10. One of the biggest factors separating Melbourne from other airports is its high parking costs. The average cost of a week’s parking was $412.00, the highest of all airports on the list, and was 42% higher than last year. Melbourne also had one of the longest commutes at 22.1km from the CBD. The average cost of a taxi is $55-70, and the public transport option has increased its single ticket price to $25.90. The airport remains one of Australia’s busiest, with over 100,000 passengers passing through each day, up 3% from the last financial year.   

Brisbane came in second-last, recording an airport convenience index score of 3.11 out of 10. While Brisbane offers significantly more parking capacity than many airports in the study, with approximately 17,000 car parks, travellers could face relatively high costs when getting there. Average weekly parking costs reached $234.89, up 7% year-on-year, while the average cost across public transport and taxi options was $48.03, the highest figure recorded in the study. Brisbane is also one of Australia’s busiest airports, with an estimated 68,257 passengers passing through each day, representing a 5% increase year-on-year. At 17.2km from the city centre, those different factors combined to put Brisbane towards the bottom of the 2026 ranking. 

The Gold Coast ranked third-last with an overall airport convenience index score of 3.67 out of 10. The average cost of public transport and taxi travel was relatively high at $30.25, while the average cost of parking reached $252.70, following a 9% increase year-on-year. The airport is also getting busier, with passenger numbers increasing by 8%. This is the biggest annual percentage increase recorded across the airports in the study, bringing its estimated daily passenger volume to approximately 17,682. 

One interesting result is the divide between some of Australia’s smaller airports and the major capital city hubs. Cairns, Darwin and Canberra rank in the top three, while Adelaide, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne make up the bottom four.  

However, bigger airports naturally handle much higher passenger volumes and serve different travel needs, so the index compares factors that can influence a traveller’s experience rather than an airport’s overall quality. 

How does the new Western Sydney Airport compare?  

With Western Sydney International Airport opening in October 2026, travellers in Australia’s largest city now have another flying option. Although the new airport is not included in the overall index because comparable data is lacking, the available data can offer an early indication of how it compares with Australia’s established airports.  

The new airport has more than 6,000 car parking spaces, with an average weekly parking cost of $179.75. This would make parking considerably cheaper than at Sydney Airport, where the comparable average was $323.  

However, getting to the new airport could be a different story for travellers depending on where they’re coming from. At around 60km from central Sydney, Western Sydney International is considerably further from the city centre than Sydney Airport, which is 11.8km away. Our analysis found the average cost of the taxi and shuttle options assessed from the CBD was $111, compared with $31.53 across the transport options assessed for Sydney Airport.  

The airport’s location means its convenience is likely to depend heavily on where travellers live. For millions of people in Western Sydney, the new airport could cut out the need to travel across the city to Sydney Airport. 

Parking costs rise at most major airports 

Melbourne wasn’t alone with the increased parking costs. Of the 11 airports in the study, eight recorded a year-on-year increase. Cairns and Darwin remained unchanged, while Sydney was the only airport where parking costs fell. Parking prices at Sydney Airport decreased for certain terminal carparks when booked in advance.  

Perth recorded the second-largest increase at 16% to an average weekly parking of $221, followed by Adelaide, where parking costs increased 13% to $229. Gold Coast rose 9% to $252.70, Townsville rose 8% to $192.25, and Brisbane rose 7% to $234.89.   

Sydney bucked the trend, with its average parking cost falling 6% to $323. Despite the decrease, it remains the second-most expensive airport for parking in the analysis due to its valet parking services.  

Passenger numbers continue to climb 

The findings also suggest Australia’s airports are getting busier, with passenger numbers increasing at most airports included in the study. The Gold Coast recorded the largest year-on-year increase at 8%, reaching around 17,682 passengers per day, suggesting more people may be holidaying there. Brisbane followed with passenger numbers up 5%, while Darwin, Perth and Adelaide all recorded increases of 4%.  

Cairns and Canberra both fell by 1% among the airports analysed. Sydney saw a 2% increase but remained Australia’s busiest airport by some margin, averaging around 117,386 passengers a day, followed by Melbourne at 100,722 and Brisbane at 68,257. For travellers, rising passenger volumes and parking costs show why planning how you’ll get to the airport can be almost as important as planning the flight itself.