Cairns International Airport (YBCS · CNS) METAR & TAF
Live METAR, TAF & runway wind for Cairns International Airport.
Get the current YBCS (CNS) weather for Cairns International Airport in Cairns, Australia. The decoder below pulls the live METAR and TAF, breaks them into plain language, and uses the published runway headings to show which runway end is best lined up with the reported wind. It is the same operational weather language tested across the EASA ATPL Meteorology and Flight Planning syllabus.
Other major airports in Oceania with live SkyStudy weather pages include Auckland (AKL), Christchurch (CHC) and Wellington (WLG).
Studying for the EASA ATPL? Practice Meteorology questions free.
Cairns International Airport airport facts
- ICAO code
- YBCS
- IATA code
- CNS
- Location
- Cairns, Australia
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Runways
- 1
- Coordinates
- -16.879, 145.749
- Timezone
- Australia/Brisbane
Cairns International Airport runways
Cairns International Airport has 1 published runway (15/33). The longest runway, 15/33, is about 10,489 ft (3,197 m) long. SkyStudy uses these runway headings with the live METAR wind to show the best-aligned runway end.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Headings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15/33 | 10,489 ft | ASP | 15 (156°) / 33 (336°) |
Want to work a runway scenario by hand? Open the wind component calculator to get headwind, crosswind, and the gust case for any heading.
How to read the YBCS METAR
A METAR always follows the same order, so once you know the pattern you can read any station, including YBCS, at a glance:
- Station & time, the ICAO code (YBCS) and the observation time in UTC (Zulu).
- Wind, direction in degrees true and speed in knots, with gusts after a G. This is what SkyStudy matches against the Cairns International Airport runways above.
- Visibility & weather: prevailing visibility, then any precipitation or obscuration codes.
- Cloud, cover and base in hundreds of feet AGL (FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC).
- Temperature / dewpoint and the altimeter setting close out the report.
This is the same operational weather language tested across EASA ATPL Meteorology and Flight Planning. Prefer a guided walkthrough? Use the full METAR & TAF decoder.
YBCS weather, frequently asked questions
What is the ICAO code for Cairns International Airport?
The ICAO code for Cairns International Airport in Cairns, Australia is YBCS, and its IATA code is CNS. Pilots use the ICAO code YBCS to request the METAR and TAF for this airport.
How do I read the YBCS METAR?
Read the YBCS METAR in order: station and time, then wind (direction in degrees true and speed in knots), visibility, weather and cloud, temperature and dewpoint, and finally the altimeter setting. The decoder above turns the raw YBCS METAR into this plain-language order automatically.
Where does the YBCS weather data come from?
The live METAR and TAF are pulled from the public NOAA Aviation Weather Center feed, the same authoritative source used in flight planning, and refreshed every few minutes. SkyStudy then layers its runway and wind logic on top.
How many runways does Cairns International Airport have?
Cairns International Airport has 1 published runway (15/33). SkyStudy combines these runway headings with the live YBCS wind to show which runway end is best aligned right now.
Is the YBCS METAR and TAF decoder free?
Yes. SkyStudy publishes this YBCS weather page as a free tool. If you are studying for EASA ATPL exams, the same METAR and TAF language appears in Meteorology, Flight Planning, and Operational Procedures, and SkyStudy turns it into practice questions and mock exams.
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