Early and late flights: what runs at 4am and midnight.

At a glance: the edges of the day

This table pulls together the hours that matter for very early and very late travel. Bus times are the first and last departures we saw in Translink's journey planner for Wednesday 4 November 2026; check your own date, as timetables change.

Gold Coast Airport before dawn and after dark

Terminal hours

Gold Coast Airport's frequently asked questions state that the terminal is open from 4:00am to 11:00pm daily, that entry is restricted outside those hours, and that overnight stays in the terminal are not permitted. If your flight leaves at 6am, you cannot arrive the night before and wait inside. Plan to reach the terminal after it opens.

The same page says most shops operate in line with flight schedules, and refers travellers to the airport's shop and dine directory for what is open. Do not count on a full breakfast at 4:30am; check the directory for your day.

The curfew

The airport's FAQ also states that its curfew runs from 11:00pm to 6:00am Queensland time. Because Queensland does not use daylight saving, that window does not move in summer. With the terminal opening at 4:00am and aircraft movements restricted until 6:00am, the earliest Gold Coast flights are early-morning departures rather than middle-of-the-night ones, and the time between the terminal opening and the curfew lifting is when the first passengers check in.

Buses at the airport

Gold Coast Airport's transport options page lists two Translink buses: route 777, a limited-stop express to Burleigh Heads via Palm Beach, and route 760, which connects the airport to Varsity Lakes train station and Robina Town Centre. It also notes that service hours differ between routes.

The 777 changed this year. Translink's Connect the Coast update says that since Monday 7 September the 777 runs only between Gold Coast Airport and Stockland Burleigh Heads, no longer continuing north to Broadbeach South, because the tram now reaches Burleigh Heads. If you are heading to Surfers Paradise by public transport, expect a change from bus to tram.

In the route 777 timetable for Wednesday 4 November 2026, the first departure from the airport we saw was 5:10am and the latest evening departures were at 10:30pm, 10:45pm, 11:00pm, 11:15pm and 11:30pm, after which the next trip shown was 5:10am the following morning. The route 760 timetable for the same day showed early departures from the airport at 5:05am and 5:35am.

After the trams stop

The same Translink update describes route 70, the overnight tram replacement bus, running between Burleigh Heads and Helensvale stations every 30 minutes between midnight and 4am, Monday to Thursday. It does not start at the airport, so it is only useful if you have already reached Burleigh Heads.

Taxis, rideshare and shuttles

The airport's transport page places the taxi rank at the southern end of the terminal near International Arrivals and names 13cabs and Black and White Cabs, but it does not publish rank hours. Uber has a pick-up zone at the southern end outside Domestic Arrivals, and DiDi and Shebah use signed pick-up points near Departures. The Con-X-Ion shuttle desk is open from 10:00am to 5:00pm, with an E-kiosk for bookings outside those hours. The airport's car parks are open 24/7.

Being collected late at night

Gold Coast Airport's pick-up and drop-off page says the zones at the front of the terminal are for immediate pick-ups only, with no parking, and that the first 10 minutes in the short-term car park are free. Whoever is collecting you needs to time it to when you reach the kerb, not when the plane lands.

Brisbane Airport before dawn and after dark

Airtrain's first and last trains

Airtrain's frequency and hours page lists the first train from the airport at 5:04am on weekdays and 6:04am on weekends and public holidays, and the last at 10:04pm. Its FAQ adds that the last train leaves the Domestic station at 10:04pm and the International station at 10:08pm, and that the stations are staffed and open from 4:50am on weekdays and 5:50am on weekends.

Going the other way matters for early departures. The same hours page lists the first train to the airport from the Gold Coast at 4:10am on weekdays and 5:40am on weekends, and the last at 8:10pm. From Central in Brisbane, the first is 4:31am on weekdays and 5:40am on weekends, and the last is 9:31pm. On weekdays trains run every 15 minutes at peak and every 30 minutes off-peak; on weekends every 30 minutes.

Brisbane Airport's transport options page lists the Airtrain adult fare to other South East Queensland stations as $23.80, with children aged 14 and under at $0.50, and states plainly that Airtrain is not a 24-hour service.

Taxis and rideshare

The same Brisbane Airport page says taxis are available 24/7 from sheltered ranks outside both terminals, and that a $4.86 fee is added to fares collected from the airport, with tolls paid by the passenger. Rideshare pick-up is at the end of the Level 2 building at the International Terminal and on the central road beside the Skywalk at the Domestic Terminal; the same $4.86 fee applies. The page does not give rideshare hours, and app prices are set at the time you request a ride.

Help desks

Brisbane Airport's customer service page lists the Airport Ambassadors and visitor information desks at the International Terminal from 5:30am to midnight, and at the Domestic Terminal from 7:00am to 7:00pm. If you land on a domestic flight late in the evening, the desk will have closed.

Changing terminals

Brisbane's domestic and international terminals are separate buildings. Brisbane Airport lists an Airtrain terminal transfer for $5.00 that takes about 5 minutes. As it runs on Airtrain, plan around Airtrain's hours for a very early connection.

Four common timing problems

Our guide on when to leave for your flight covers how much time to allow before departure. For the late-arrival side, the cost of each option is compared in private transfer vs taxi vs rideshare.

Pre-booking an early or late transfer

A pre-booked transfer has one fixed price per vehicle, shown before you pay. Our booking form also shows the earliest available pickup time for the trip you choose, so check it before you lock in a very early flight. For airport pickups we ask for your flight number. You can add notes for the driver, and child seats by type.

For the full list of airport routes, see Gold Coast Airport transfers and Brisbane Airport private transfers. Popular early-morning runs to the southern airport include Gold Coast Airport to Surfers Paradise transfer and Burleigh Heads to Gold Coast Airport. Flying out of Brisbane from the coast, look at Brisbane Airport to Gold Coast transfer, or from the city at Brisbane to Gold Coast Airport transfer. A late connection between airports is covered on Brisbane Airport to Gold Coast Airport transfer.

Crossing the border in summer

If you are staying in northern New South Wales and flying from a Queensland airport, the clock on your phone may not match the airport's. The NSW Government says daylight saving starts at 2am on Sunday 4 October 2026 and ends at 3am on Sunday 4 April 2027, and that Queensland does not observe it. During that period, clocks in Byron Bay and Kingscliff are an hour ahead of the airport. Gold Coast Airport gives its curfew in Queensland time, so a 6:00am curfew end is 7:00am on a NSW clock in summer.

Our explainer on the NSW and Queensland summer time difference goes through the details. Fares from the NSW side are on Gold Coast Airport to Byron Bay transfer, Gold Coast Airport to Kingscliff transfer, Tweed Coast transfers and Byron Shire transfers.

Choosing your airport around the clock

If your dates are flexible, the hours above can help you pick the airport. Brisbane has round-the-clock taxi ranks and an international terminal desk staffed until midnight; Gold Coast Airport closes its terminal overnight and sits under a curfew. Our comparison Gold Coast Airport or Brisbane Airport? looks at the other factors, and travellers heading south from Brisbane can read private transfers Brisbane to Byron Bay.

For business trips with a dawn flight, see corporate transfers Gold Coast and Brisbane. To compare every fare we publish, go to private transfer prices, and to check what fits your luggage, see private transfer vehicles.

Frequently asked questions

More about how our bookings work is on private transfer questions.

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