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ICYMI, Melbourne Airport is getting ready for a lot more travellers. Over the past few years, the Victorian capital’s main transport hub has been gradually revealing plans for upgrades – including the revamped new pick-up and drop-off zone, and a fully refurbished east-west runway. Now, Melbourne’s 24-hour airport has unveiled its draft ‘Master Plan 2027’, setting out a 20-year vision for how the airport will grow as the city’s population – and its appetite for getting the heck out of town – continues to expand.
The plan lays out a roadmap for expanding the airport's terminals, runways and transport connections, with the overarching aim of making it easier to get to and from the airport – whether you're heading overseas on a mega trip, zipping interstate or just trying to get to work in the airport precinct without losing your mind.
As mentioned above, some of the changes are already on the horizon. New and expanded pick-up and drop-off zones are due to open in October of this year, paving the way for a mega overhaul of the international terminal. The domestic terminals are also earmarked for upgrades, and the plan includes measures to safeguard the infrastructure needed to support the long-term growth of Australia's domestic airlines.
The big number to know? 75 million passengers a year by 2047. That's roughly double the number of people who passed through Melbourne Airport last financial year, when almost 37 million passengers used the airport (according to stats from the Melbourne Airport team).
But arguably the most interesting part of the plan for Melburnians is what's happening beyond the airport itself. Improving local connections is a major focus, with Melbourne Airport proposing new road infrastructure and better bus links to surrounding neighbourhoods. The plan also factors in the (long-awaited) rail connection to the city via Sunshine, a joint project being worked on with the state and federal governments.
And given Melbourne Airport is already the state's largest employment hub outside the CBD, better public transport would be a game changer for the thousands of people who work there – as well as the millions of people who use it to get out of (and into) Melbourne every year. The airport's business park is also slated for further development, which could bring more job opportunities.
Then there's the runway situation. The plan formally includes the Eastern Extension Project, which will see Melbourne Airport's east-west runway extended by 345 metres. According to the Melbourne Airport team, the extension is needed to compensate for a section of the runway that will be shortened at its western end as part of the construction of the airport's third runway.
The draft ‘Master Plan 2027’ is now open for public feedback, with submissions welcome until November 4, 2026. You can read the full details and make a submission over here.
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