Melbourne Airport unveils draft Master Plan 2027

Melbourne Airport has unveiled the 20-year vision for Australia’s largest 24-hour gateway with plans to enable better connections to Australia, the world and nearby neighbourhoods. The draft Master Plan 2027 outlines how Melbourne Airport will evolve to support an expected doubling in passenger numbers over the coming 20 years, with 75 million people a year expected to use the airport by 2047. Preparation for this growth is already underway, with new and expanded Pick up and Drop off zones set to open in October, paving the way for $4.5 billion in privately funded projects to expand the international terminal. The draft Master Plan 2027 also envisages upgrades to the domestic terminals and safeguarding infrastructure for the long-term growth of Australia’s domestic airlines. Improving local links to the airport is a central part of the draft plan, including new road infrastructure, improved bus connections to nearby neighbourhoods and rail access to the city via Sunshine. The draft plan also formalises the Eastern Extension Project, a 345-metre extension of the east-west runway, to account for shortening at its western end required for construction of Melbourne Airport’s third runway. Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the draft plan would help ensure the airport has the infrastructure it needs to serve Melbourne’s growing population over the coming decades. “Last financial year Melbourne Airport welcomed almost 37 million passengers, but that number is expected to double over the next two decades,” she said. “We need to plan ahead to ensure we have the airfield, terminal and ground transport infrastructure in place to adequately service the growing number of travellers, exporters and importers who are using Melbourne Airport. Local connectivity is a big part of this plan because we need to ensure our passengers and workforce have easy access to the precinct, which is already the state’s largest employment hub outside of the Melbourne CBD. As we continue to work with the State and Federal Governments to deliver their airport rail connection to Sunshine, we also need to plan for better local bus services to our surrounding communities. Further development of our business park will provide more employment opportunities for people living in Melbourne’s north and west, while sustainability is being integrated into our planning and operations through low carbon design, resource efficiency and climate resilience.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]