The nation’s busiest 24-hour airport has announced plans to expand its international terminal through several projects aimed at supersizing its capacity to serve long-haul travel.
Melbourne Airport’s $4.5 billion improvement plan will include expanding its international terminal’s check-in hall, adding bigger lounge facilities, and adding five new gates for wide-body planes, which it said would give “airlines more flexibility to schedule flights”.
Those gates can also accommodate eight narrow-body planes.
The key to the growth plan, according to Melbourne Airport, is the opening of new pick-up and drop-off zones in front of terminals T1, T2, and T3 in September 2026, which will make room for the international terminal to come forward into the existing forecourt.
Melbourne Airport chief executive officer Lorie Argus said improvements in the terminal would complement the planned third runway, due to open in 2031.
“Increased capacity on our airfield and terminals will allow airlines to schedule more flights to more places, which will give consumers and exporters more choice,” she said.
The $4.5 billion expansion will be funded privately, with support from the airlines themselves, who have agreed “in principle” to the changes.
“We’ve spent several months working collaboratively with the airlines to ensure these plans meet their needs, while also delivering an improved experience for our travellers in both arrivals and departures,” Argus said.
Melbourne Airport will face more competition for international travel following the opening of Western Sydney International Airport, scheduled to open this year. Avalon Airport in Victoria is also resuming international flights, with Jetstar flights to Bali being launched next month.
Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs Julian Hill said that “demand for domestic and international travel at Melbourne Airport is growing rapidly, and Victorians and visitors alike will welcome these improvements which can’t come too soon”.
As for improvements with border security, which still relies on kiosks and paper declaration slips, Argus said Melbourne Airport was still “keen to work with the federal government on upgrades to border processing technology and facilities to help further improve the arrivals experience for international travellers”.
Early works on the first stage of the international terminal expansion will start after the opening of Melbourne Airport’s new road network in September.
Melbourne Airport, which opened in 1970, has four terminals: one international, two domestic and one for budget domestic flights. It has expanded steadily over the years, helped both by a booming demand for travel and Victoria’s robust population growth.
January set a record for international travel, with more than 1.26 million international passengers passing through the airport in that month.
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Chris Zappone is a senior reporter covering aviation and business. He is former digital foreign editor.Connect via X, Facebook or email.From our partners
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