Planning and design of Melbourne Airport’s $4.5 billion international terminal expansion is advancing, with new artist impressions released after the closure of the Departures ramp.
Planning and design of the $4.5 billion international terminal expansion at Melbourne Airport (MEL) is progressing, following the opening of new pick-up and drop-off zones for Terminals 1, 2 and 3 earlier this month.
New artist impressions have been released showing the additional space that will be created as the terminal footprint expands into the current forecourt area. The designs will enlarge the check-in, arrivals and departure satellite areas and seek to maximise natural light to create a calming environment and enhance passengers’ sense of wellbeing.
Staged delivery alongside third runway construction
The expansion will be delivered as a series of projects so that Australia’s largest 24-hour gateway can continue to operate, with works taking place alongside construction of Melbourne Airport’s third runway. The project is enabled by the closure of the 56-year-old Departures ramp and the opening of the new pick-up and drop-off zones in the T123 Transport Hub.
In the first two weeks of operation, the new zones and elevated roadway have cut average travel times between Mickleham Road and the airport drop-off zone by 10 minutes during peak times. Feedback from drivers and passengers has been positive, and the airport is adding signage where needed to help people navigate the new arrangement.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the new zones were the first phase of a $17 billion privately funded infrastructure pipeline.
“Demand for travel to and from Melbourne continues to grow and we are building the terminal, airfield and transport facilities we need to support that,” she said.
Argus said the closure of the Departures ramp allows the airport to move to the next stage of planning.
“With the old Departures ramp now closed to traffic we can start to plan further changes in the arrivals forecourt that will allow us to start construction on the much-needed international terminal expansion.”
When terminal works are complete, passengers will have more space at check-in and baggage claim, with higher ceilings and more natural light, alongside five additional gates for airlines and an upgraded lounge and retail offering, according to the airport. The third runway is intended to reduce flight delays and give airlines greater flexibility to schedule flights at the times passengers want to travel.
The announcement follows Melbourne Airport’s busiest September on record, with 3,143,097 passengers (excluding transits) passing through the terminals, up 2.5 per cent on September 2025. Domestic passengers totalled 2,114,826, an increase of 3.6 per cent, while international passengers rose 0.2 per cent to 998,271. The airport said the Brisbane Lions, Fremantle Dockers, San Francisco 49ers and LA Rams contributed to the result.
For the financial year to September, total passengers numbered 9,200,687, down 0.5 per cent on the same period of FY 2025/26. International passengers fell 1.3 per cent to 2,961,607, while domestic passengers declined 0.2 per cent to 6,239,080.
Argus said: “We’re incredibly excited to be delivering this upgrade to Melbourne Airport and we thank people for their patience while we work to build the new infrastructure in amongst our 24-hour operation.”
No comments yet