Darwin International Airport (DRW)

Departures from Darwin International Airport (DRW) at a glance

• 55flights a day9th busiest of 111 airports
• 18routes from here
• 5airlines
• 01:40 – 20:35first and last00061218

Collected between 29 October 2026 and 31 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Darwin International Airport (DRW) is on Henry Wrigley Drive in Eaton, Northern Territory, and its domestic and international flights leave from the same terminal. Check-in, security screening, arrivals and baggage claim are on the ground floor, departures are on the first floor, and the terminal is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Darwin International Airport shares its airfield with RAAF Base Darwin, a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base.

Visiting Groote Eylandt, one of the destinations below, needs a permit from the Anindilyakwa Land Council, and the Northern Land Council runs the permit system for Aboriginal land in the Top End. Flights into Western Australia and South Australia also come with fruit and vegetable rules on arrival.

Airlines and Destinations From Darwin International Airport

The airlines recorded on direct domestic flights from Darwin International Airport include Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia, Airnorth and Alliance Airlines. Direct domestic flights recorded from Darwin go to these destinations, with the airlines recorded on each:

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Adelaide	Adelaide Airport (ADL)	Jetstar, Qantas, Alliance Airlines
Alice Springs	Alice Springs Airport (ASP)	Qantas, Airnorth
Brisbane	Brisbane Airport (BNE)	Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
Broome	Broome International Airport (BME)	Airnorth
Cairns	Cairns Airport (CNS)	Qantas, Airnorth
Elcho Island	Elcho Island Airport (ELC)	Airnorth
Groote Eylandt	Groote Eylandt Airport (GTE)	Airnorth
Katherine	Katherine Tindal Civilian Airport (KTR)	Airnorth
Kununurra	East Kimberley Regional Airport (KNX)	Airnorth
Maningrida	Maningrida Airport (MNG)	Airnorth
McArthur River zinc mine	McArthur River Mine Airport (MCV)	Airnorth
Melbourne	Melbourne Airport (MEL)	Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
Milingimbi Island	Milingimbi Airport (MGT)	Airnorth
Nhulunbuy	Gove Airport (GOV)	Airnorth
Perth	Perth Airport (PER)	Qantas, Airnorth, Virgin Australia
Sydney	Sydney Airport (SYD)	Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
Tennant Creek	Tennant Creek Airport (TCA)	Airnorth
Townsville	Townsville Airport (TSV)	Airnorth

The Terminal at Darwin International Airport

Domestic and international flights share one terminal building. The ground floor holds check-in, security screening, arrivals and baggage claim, and the car rental kiosks. On the first floor, domestic departures has the gates, food outlets, free showers and the Qantas Club Lounge, and international departures has its own area with duty free.

Check-in and Security Screening

Airline check-in desks are on the ground floor, and the flight information screens near the terminal entry show where your airline's desks are. Check-in times differ between airlines, so check yours with the airline before you set out.

All domestic and international passengers are required to go through body scan screening, which the operator says is in line with Australian Federal Government regulations. If a medical or physical condition stops you being scanned, tell the screening officer.

Bladed implements are prohibited in hand luggage. Wheelchairs, prams and walking aids are screened too, and private screening is available on request.

Darwin International Airport and RAAF Base Darwin

Defence calls the airfield "an operational joint civil-military airfield" and says it supports Australian and international military aircraft as well as civil flights. The military side is RAAF Base Darwin.

The base has its own main gates at Amaroo Road, off the Stuart Highway, and entry needs Defence induction and pass procedures. Those gates are a different place from the passenger terminal on Henry Wrigley Drive, which the transport options below serve.

Getting to and From Darwin International Airport

Shuttles, a public bus, taxis, rideshare, car hire and car parks serve the terminal. The Rideshare/Uber lane is in the drop-off zone.

Airport Shuttles

The Darwin City Airport Shuttle can be booked online or at its kiosk outside Carousel 1, near the exit, and it boards at the Rideshare/Uber lane. Its services are timed to coincide with major flight arrivals, and its drop-off points are named city hotels.

The Darwin Airport Resorts shuttle bus is for guests of the Accor hotels at the airport only, and the operator says it also links the terminal to the Long Stay Saver car park.

Public Bus

The public bus stop is on Henry Wrigley Drive, next to the Mercure Darwin Airport Resort, about 600 m or an 8-minute walk from the terminal. Routes and timetables are on the Northern Territory Government's "Catch a Bus to Darwin Airport" page.

Taxi and Rideshare

Taxis run by 13Cabs, Darwin Radio Taxi, City Palmerston & Rural and Metro Mini Bus Service serve the airport, as does Uber.

Car Hire and Coaches

The car rental kiosks are on the ground floor. The car hire companies include Bargain Car Rentals, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Redspot, Sixt and Thrifty.

Private hire cars, limousines and charter coach operators, including Greyhound Australia, Metro Coach Services and Grand Touring Coaches, also serve the airport.

Pick-up, Drop-off and Parking

The pick-up and drop-off zones are for immediate drop-off and pick-up only, with a maximum wait of 2 minutes, and the driver has to stay with the vehicle.

Short Stay is directly in front of the terminal. Long Stay Plus is to the left of the terminal, with its entrance on Fenton Court, and the operator warns that it can reach capacity at holiday peaks.

Long Stay Saver is behind Long Stay Plus, with its entrance on Pedersen Road, about a six-minute undercover walk from the terminal, or you can call the free shuttle. Entry to the car parks uses number plate recognition, and parking can be booked online in advance.

Facilities at Darwin International Airport

Free wifi runs on the "DarwinAirport" hotspot, and there are charging stations and ChargeSPOT power banks to rent. There are automatic teller machines (ATMs), including in International Departures, and Travelex foreign currency ATMs. All terminal facilities are wheelchair accessible, according to the operator.

The free showers are in the domestic departures area on the first floor, and they cannot be booked, so bring your own towel and soap. Water fountains are on the ground floor and in the upstairs domestic departures lounge, and there are massage chairs. The smoking area is at the front of the terminal.

Baby change rooms are on the ground floor near the car rental kiosks, on the first floor opposite Gate 9 and near Green Bean cafe, and in International Departures. Baggage trolleys are paid, and the baggage lockers, in the walkway shelter in the Short Stay car park, take card payment only and open with a code rather than a key. Lost property is at the Terminal Control Centre on the ground floor next to Gate A, open 8 am to 2 pm on business days as of September 2026.

Qantas Club Lounge

The Qantas Club Lounge is in domestic departures on the first floor, near Gate 4. It is Qantas's own lounge, so check entry and opening hours with Qantas.

Food, Drink and Shops

Northern Common (a bar with food), the Territory Bar, Roll'd and Red Rooster (next to Gate 9) are in domestic departures on Level 1, and so is Relay, which stocks Northern Territory-owned products and is open 24 hours. Charlie's Bar is at Domestic Arrivals on the ground floor, and duty free is in International Departures.

Some outlets, including Roll'd and the Territory Bar, change their opening hours between the dry season and the wet season.

Airport Hotels

The Mercure Darwin Airport Resort and the Novotel Darwin Airport Hotel are across the street from each other, and the operator describes them as just minutes from the airport.

Permits for Aboriginal Land

Entry to Aboriginal land needs a written permit. Check with the land council for the place you are flying to before you book, because each council publishes its own permit rules.

Northern Land Council Permits

The Northern Land Council (NLC) says Commonwealth and Northern Territory law requires a written permit to enter Aboriginal land, and it runs the permit system for traditional owners in the Top End. Its permits cover entering Aboriginal land or waters for any purpose, travelling by private road on Aboriginal land, entering or visiting an Aboriginal community, and staying overnight or longer. An invitation is not enough on its own: the NLC says you still need a written permit if a Traditional Owner has given you permission to visit a community.

You can apply online through the NLC's Permit Administration System or in person, and permit officers in Katherine, Darwin, Nhulunbuy or Jabiru can process a permit over the counter on the same day during business hours. As of September 2026, the NLC asks applicants to allow up to 10 days for processing, and closures for cultural reasons, such as funerals and ceremonies, can happen at short notice. The rules are set out on the Northern Land Council's permits page.

The NLC says an Aboriginal person who is entitled by Aboriginal tradition to enter or remain on an area of Aboriginal land may do so without a permit.

Groote Eylandt Permits

On Groote Eylandt, the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC) issues the permits and says a permit is needed to visit Groote. Its permit covers entering Aboriginal land in the Groote Archipelago for any purpose, travelling by road through Aboriginal land, apart from public roads and some mining leases, and visiting an outstation or community where no Commonwealth Government head lease applies. The Angurugu, Umbakumba and Milyakburra communities are covered by Commonwealth leases, and the ALC says visitors do not need a permit to visit these communities.

For recreation, the ALC says all persons over the age of 15 must hold a valid Recreation Permit, organised on arrival with the Anindilyakwa Land and Sea Rangers at Pole 13. Going outside the designated recreation areas needs a Special Access Permit, and research, filming or photography that could lead to publication or commercial use needs separate permission.

Groote Eylandt is a Prescribed Area, and the ALC says alcohol and drugs are not to be brought into or consumed in the recreation areas. Alcohol may only be consumed in Alyangula, on licensed premises or with a liquor-permit holder at their residence.

Ring the Anindilyakwa Land and Sea Rangers on 08 8987 6703 for more information on access permits. The details are on the ALC's land access permits page.

Fruit and Plant Rules for the Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia

The Northern Territory, Western Australia and South Australia each set their own rules on the fruit, vegetables and plants you can carry in, and the rules that apply are those of the place you land. The sections below cover flying into Darwin, and flying from Darwin to Western Australia or to Adelaide.

Flying Into Darwin From Another State

The Northern Territory Government says there are laws that stop some fruits, vegetables and plants from crossing its borders, and that its borders are not patrolled. It says you will find quarantine bins at airports for disposing of fruit brought from interstate. Uncertified bananas from North Queensland are not allowed into the Northern Territory.

Flying From Darwin to Perth, Broome or Kununurra

Western Australia's rules, as set out by the Western Australian Government, require quarantine risk material to be declared to a Quarantine Inspector on arrival. Its advice for air travellers is to declare any item you are unsure about to a quarantine inspector or put it in one of the bins at the airport, and inspectors with sniffer dogs may check your bags as you collect them from the carousel.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are allowed in only from a permitted list, and only if they are free of sprouting green growth, soil, pests and disease. The list includes pineapple, peeled and diced watermelon, peeled onions and garlic, carrots, corn on the cob with the husk removed, and commercially packaged mushrooms. Western Australia describes its list as a summary of some common imports and says the requirements can change with pest and disease outbreaks, so check with Quarantine WA before you pack.

Honey is prohibited unless certified on a Health Certificate, and raw walnuts in the shell are not permitted. Raw crustaceans, including bait, are not permitted unless specific requirements are met, while cooked crustaceans are permitted. For enquiries about arriving by air, Quarantine WA is on 08 9334 1800.

Flying From Darwin to Adelaide

South Australia requires fruit and vegetables at risk from fruit fly to be eaten or disposed of before you enter the state, and its rules differ by the state you travel from. For travellers from the Northern Territory, avocados, fresh fruit, fruiting vegetables (capsicum, chilli, eggplant, tomato and tamarillo), soil and grapevines are not allowed.

Processed, dried, preserved, cooked, frozen or canned fruit and vegetables are allowed from the Northern Territory, as are leafy vegetables, root vegetables that are soil-free with the tops removed, fresh cut herbs, mushrooms, pineapple and dried nuts. For melons, cucurbits such as pumpkin and zucchini, spinach, silver beet, peas and beans, honey and bee products, most plants and cuttings, and cut flowers, call the fruit fly hotline on 1300 666 010, which is open 24 hours.

Daylight Saving on Flights From Darwin

The Northern Territory does not observe daylight saving, and nor do Queensland and Western Australia. New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory do, so check the local time at the other end before arranging a pick-up.

Frequently Asked Questions About Darwin International Airport

Do domestic and international flights use the same terminal at Darwin International Airport?

Yes. Both leave from the one terminal, with check-in on the ground floor and departures on the first floor, and the terminal is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Is Darwin International Airport a military airport?

It shares its airfield with RAAF Base Darwin, the military side of the airfield. Airline passengers use the terminal on Henry Wrigley Drive, and the base has its own gates at Amaroo Road.

How do I get from Darwin International Airport to the city?

The Darwin City Airport Shuttle is timed to coincide with major flight arrivals and drops off at named city hotels, and taxis and Uber also serve the airport. The public bus stop on Henry Wrigley Drive is about an 8-minute walk from the terminal, and routes and timetables are on the Northern Territory Government's bus page.

Do I need a permit to visit Groote Eylandt after flying from Darwin?

The Anindilyakwa Land Council says a permit is needed to visit Groote, although visitors do not need one for the Angurugu, Umbakumba and Milyakburra communities, which are covered by Commonwealth leases. For recreation, the council says all persons over the age of 15 must hold a Recreation Permit, which the rangers at Pole 13 organise on arrival. Check with the Anindilyakwa Land Council before you travel.

Can I take fruit on a flight from Darwin to Perth?

Western Australia allows fresh fruit and vegetables only from a permitted list, such as pineapple and peeled onions, and only if they are free of soil, pests, disease and sprouting green growth, and the list can change. Declare anything you are unsure about to a quarantine inspector on arrival, or put it in one of the bins at the airport.