Cairns Convention Centre Cairns has marked a milestone by becoming the first non-capital city to host the CAPA Airline Leader Summit Australia Pacific, welcoming more than 350 delegates to the Cairns Convention Centre from 30 July to 1 August.
The gathering of senior airline executives, policymakers, and tourism leaders underscored Tropical North Queensland’s growing profile as a strategic aviation hub.
According to Tara Bennett, General Manager of Partnerships and Events at Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the Summit demonstrated the city’s potential to play a pivotal role in expanding aviation routes, positioning Cairns as Australia’s northern gateway.
Cairns Airport CEO Richard Barker emphasised the significance of bringing CAPA’s global platform to the region: “It gave us rare access to airline executives right here at home, putting Cairns front and centre in conversations on global travel trends.”
The Summit highlighted the Cairns Convention Centre’s capacity to stage high-profile international events, following closely on the heels of the Developing Northern Australia Conference, which welcomed more than 400 delegates the previous week.
Currently connected to Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Fiji, and Indonesia, Cairns Airport handled 4.9 million passengers in the year to June 2025, further strengthening its role as a vital international gateway.
The Summit was secured through a partnership between Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, and the Queensland Government.