New lounge option for Cairns Airport flyers
Cairns Airport
Travellers departing Cairns Airport will have a new lounge option from early 2027, with Plaza Premium Group (PPG) planning an independent domestic lounge as part of a $20 million investment programme across Australia.
The planned Plaza Premium Lounge will bring the group’s independent lounge concept to Tropical North Queensland, offering domestic passengers access regardless of airline, ticket class or frequent flyer status.
For a region known for the Great Barrier Reef, Port Douglas and the Daintree Rainforest, the development will add another hospitality experience to the visitor journey, giving holidaymakers a place to relax before flying home. It will also offer Cairns residents travelling interstate for work, holidays or family visits greater choice at the airport.
The Cairns development forms part of PPG’s growing Australian domestic network, following the opening of its Adelaide Domestic lounge in November 2025 and a new Sydney Airport T2 lounge scheduled to open in early December 2026.
By extending lounge access beyond traditional airline memberships, PPG aims to make pre-flight hospitality available to a broader range of travellers, including families, leisure visitors and business passengers.
Cyrus Wong, General Manager, Oceania at Plaza Premium Group, said the group was focused on making lounge experiences a more accessible part of domestic travel.
“Whether it is a business traveller needing a quiet hour to work, a family heading on holiday, or anyone wanting a comfortable space to relax, we are making a premium airport experience a normal, easy part of domestic travel.”
The planned Cairns lounge will extend that approach to one of Australia’s best-known leisure tourism gateways, complementing the region’s wider accommodation, tourism and hospitality offering.
PPG’s $20 million Australian investment programme also includes a complete rebuild and redesign of its Brisbane International lounge, alongside the new Sydney domestic facility.
The investment marks ten years since the group entered Australia at Brisbane Airport in 2016. Since then, PPG has established airport hospitality operations across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide.
Mei Mei Song, Chief Transformation Officer at Plaza Premium Group, said the investment reflected the company’s long-term commitment to Australia.
“Ten years in Australia, ten lounges and ten consecutive years of Skytrax airport lounge awards - these are milestones we are incredibly proud of. Australia has become one of our most vital growth markets globally, and this $20 million investment reaffirms our long-term commitment to the region as we continue to redefine the travel experience across major Asia-Pacific transit hubs.”
The new Cairns domestic lounge is planned to open in early 2027.
