Melbourne to Sunshine Coast flights: Can I fly direct?

Direct flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland are available with Jetstar, Virgin Australia and Qantas. One way tickets cost from $110, with a flight time of 2h10m.

The Sunshine Coast in Queensland is a popular domestic holiday destination, especially in the Australian winter. So it’s no wonder that people living in Melbourne like to flock there when the weather turns cold.

The Sunshine Coast is fairly close to Brisbane Airport. So close, in fact, that the drive from Brisbane Airport to Noosa at the top of the Sunshine Coast is only 148km long. That makes for a driving time of one hour and 42 minutes. For other destinations on the Sunshine Coast, such as Mooloolaba, Eumundi and Montville, that driving time is shorter.

So if Melburnians want to go to the Sunshine Coast, they can easily fly into Brisbane, then drive north. However, there is another option.

12 fantastic Sunshine Coast experiences to book now

Taste coffee and ginger, do rainforest walks, and visit the best lookouts on a highlight-packed hinterland tour.
Take a serene Noosa Everglades cruise along the mirror-like waterways – or canoe through the Everglades.
Learn to surf at a Sunshine Coast surf school – or try paddleboarding instead.
Combine sight-seeing and thrills on a fast boat tour.
Go e-mountain biking on the downhill trails of Tewantin National Park.
Kayak with dolphins as part of a beach 4WD tour.
Explore the Sunshine Coast from above on a seaplane flight.
Take an indigenous cultural tour – with bush tucker tasting.
Visit the region’s best craft breweries and distilleries on a drinks tasting tour.
Go jetskiing through the gorgeous Pumicestone Passage.
Taste wines, cheeses and chocolates on a hinterland food tour.
Watch migrating humpbacks on a whale-watching cruise.

Direct flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast Airport just about qualifies as an international airport due to having seasonal flights from Auckland, New Zealand. But it also has a good smattering of flights from Melbourne.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia operate direct flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast year-round.

Qantas, meanwhile, runs seasonal Melbourne to Sunshine Coast flights during the Australian winter.

Noosa waterways — The winding waterways are part of what makes Noosa special. If picking a caravan park in Noosa, you want to be near the water. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Sunshine Coast Airport used to be called Maroochydore Airport, even though it’s just outside of Maroochydore in Marcoola, just north of Mudjimba Beach. It’s 29km south of Noosa, and the drive from Sunshine Coast Airport to Noosa takes around 26 minutes.

👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇

Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.

Why not BROWSE THE BEST DEALS – with instant confirmation and hassle-free, mobile-friendly tickets?

Melbourne to Sunshine Coast flight prices

That’s obviously more appealing than slogging it up the Bruce Highway from Brisbane. It’s not exactly wildly expensive to take the direct flight from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast either. One way tickets cost from around $110.

According to the flight schedules, direct flights from Melbourne to the Sunshine Coast take two hours and ten minutes. Or, if you’re flying with Virgin Australia, it’s mystifyingly longer at two hours and 20 minutes.