Melbourne Airport has launched a new service, Airport Assist, a series of “Mobility Hubs” designed to improve the airport experience for passengers with disability and access requirements.
Four Mobility Hubs will open at Melbourne Airport to help travellers navigate between the airport’s car parks, check-in areas, baggage halls, and passenger pick-up and drop-off zones. The Hubs will be staffed by Travellers Aid and provide support to travellers with visible and non-visible disabilities.
The Airport Assist pilot service, the first of its kind in Australia, is designed to address the barriers faced by some travellers as they navigate the airport precinct, and will complement existing airline services. The four-month trial will initially run from Monday to Friday between 10am and 6pm, and will offer the following services:
- Accessible information to assist with navigation and understanding
- Buggy transfers between the T4 ground transport hub (including car park, PTV bus service, taxi rank, and Uber) and the Jetstar, Rex, Virgin Australia, and international arrivals and departures areas, with wheelchair connections to Qantas departures*
- Wheelchair transfers from a hub located at Virgin Australia baggage claim/International arrivals
- Wheelchair transfers from a hub located at Virgin Australia departures
- Wheelchair transfers from a hub located at Qantas baggage claim to Skybus, taxi or Uber
- Sensory Packs
- Communication Boards for non-verbal travellers
- Hidden Disability Sunflower Program lanyards and information.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the service offering is the result of insights from research commissioned to better understand the barriers experienced by travellers with disability and access requirements. “We know that our growing precinct, coupled with increasing passenger numbers, means there are more people who need help moving around the terminals and car parks,” she said. “One in 10 travellers are now telling us that they need some form of extra help at Melbourne Airport, and with an ageing population, the number of passengers needing mobility assistance is only going to increase. We’ve spent the past 18 months working to understand where we need to improve accessibility and our research has taken into consideration people with both visible and non-visible disability, as well as those who don’t identify with having disability but may require additional assistance. We hope this trial will help address the problems some of our passengers encounter getting where they need to go. We are committed to creating a more inclusive travel experience, and the Airport Assist pilot is a significant step toward ensuring all travellers can navigate the airport with ease and confidence. This service will be offered to passengers free of charge and we welcome feedback on opportunities for improvement.”
Travellers Aid CEO Elias Lebbos said: “We look forward to collaborating with Melbourne Airport and Get Skilled Access to meet the needs of the growing number of passengers who require mobility assistance. From Melbourne’s major train stations, events throughout Victoria and now at Melbourne Airport, Travellers Aid is committed to providing services that enable people of all abilities to travel safely, confidently and independently.”
Get Skilled Access Co-CEO Zack Alcott said: “The Hubs will change the airport experience for people with disability. Hopefully, the Hubs can ease the fear of what has traditionally been quite a stressful experience for people with access needs. The input of people with disability and access needs was key to designing the Hubs and offering specific services that meet the community needs.”
Nick Morris, Technical Principal – Accessibility and Universal Design at Jensen Hughes, said: “The creation of Mobility Hubs ensures that all people – from those with disability, to families, ageing adults or people with medical equipment – are able to move through the airport with ease and predictability. Staff can assist and guide them to make sure that they’re movement through the airport is seamless. A fantastic innovation from Melbourne Airport.”
Outside of the service’s trial hours of operation, support for people with limited mobility is available via Melbourne Airport’s Ground Transport team and the Chaplaincy service.
Capacity and competition help drive international growth
Increased capacity into key international markets is helping drive a surge in foreign visitors to Victoria. In August, a total of 922,916 passengers travelled through Melbourne Airport’s international terminal, which represents an eight per cent increase on the same month last year. Compared to August 2018, the number of passport holders travelling through Melbourne from Vietnam was up 54%, while passport holders from the Philippines were up 48%.
Asiana’s seasonal flights from Seoul resulted in a 46% increase in South Korean passport holders, while Turkish Airlines’ flights to Istanbul (via Singapore) delivered an almost 20% increase in Turkish passport holders. A total of 1,989,134 domestic passengers were recorded for the month of August, which was a slight decrease on August 2023 and reflects the exit of Rex from major trunk routes.
Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation Jim Parashos said the growth in international capacity was helping to offset the relatively stagnant domestic market. “We have worked hard to attract new airlines to Melbourne Airport at the same time as growing our list of destinations, meaning Victorian travellers and exporters have more choice than ever,” he said. Our partnership with Webjet is a great chance for passengers to snap up cheap flights for their 2025 holidays. Melbourne Airport’s planned third runway will increase capacity and give new and existing carriers the room they need to grow, which ultimately means a better offering for travellers.”
For Editorial Inquiries Contact:
Editor Matt Driskill at matt.driskill@asianaviation.com
For Advertising Inquiries Contact:
Head of Sales Kay Rolland at kay.rolland@asianaviation.com
