Melbourne Airport

For other uses, see the Australian airport.

Melbourne Airport Tullamarine Airport
File:Melbourne Airport.png
The tower at Melbourne Airport with a United Airlines 747 taking off.
IATA: MEL ICAO: YMML
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Limited
Operator	Australia Pacific Airports (Melbourne) Pty Ltd
Serves	Melbourne
Location	Melbourne Airport, adjacent to Tullamarine
Elevation AMSL	434 ft / 132 m
Coordinates	37°40′24.1″S 144°50′36.2″E
Website	www.melbourneairport.com.au
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 09/27 2,286 7,500 Asphalt 16/34 3,657 11,998 Asphalt
Statistics (2007–2008)
Passengers 24,260,000 Aircraft Movements 193,826

Melbourne Airport (IATA: MEL, ICAO: YMML), also known as Tullamarine Airport or the local colloquialism Tulla, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. Located 23 kilometres (14 mi) from the city centre, adjacent to the suburb of Tullamarine, it was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the Melbourne metropolitan area.

The Melbourne—Sydney air route is the fourth most-travelled passenger air route in the world and the second busiest in the Asia Pacific region. The airport features direct flights to destinations in all states and territories of Australia in addition to numerous destinations in Oceania, Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. Melbourne is the most common destination for the airports of five of Australia's seven capital cities. Melbourne serves as a hub for Qantas and Virgin Blue, while Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways Australia utilise the airport as home base. Melbourne is the busiest airport for international export freight as of December 2008, while second busiest for import freight. Domestically, Melbourne serves as headquarters for Australian air Express and Toll Priority and handles more domestic freight than any other airport in the nation.

In 2003, Melbourne received the International Air Transport Association Eagle Award for service and two National Tourism Awards for tourism services. Skytrax, an airline consultancy company, classifies Melbourne as a four-star airport. The airport comprises of four terminals, one international terminal, two domestic terminals and one budget domestic terminal.

History

The main terminal building

By the early 1960s, Melbourne's Essendon Airport facilities were insufficient to meet the increasing demand for air travel. Essendon's runways were too short to handle the newer jet airliners intended for international travel, and the terminals could not handle the increased passenger traffic. Expansion of Essendon was not possible because the airport had become surrounded by residential housing.

On 27 November 1962, Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced a five-year plan to provide Melbourne with a AU$45 million "jetport" by 1967. A site in Tullamarine was chosen, maintaining proximity to Essendon. In October 1964, Ansett Australia launched the Boeing 727, the first jet aircraft used for domestic air travel in Australia, placing further strain on Essendon and increasing the need for a new airport.

In line with the five-year plan, the airport was ready to handle aircraft by 1967, but not passenger flights. Air Force One landed at the airport on 22 December 1967, carrying United States President Lyndon B. Johnson. Prime Minister John Gorton officially opened the airport to international operations on 1 July 1970 to much fanfare. Domestic flights were transferred from Essendon on 26 June 1971, and the first arrival of a Boeing 747 occurred later that year. In the first year of operations, Melbourne handled six international airlines and 155,275 international passengers.

In 1988, the Australian Government formed the Federal Airports Corporation (FAC) and placed Melbourne Airport under operational control of the FAC along with 21 other airports around the nation. The domestic terminals were significantly upgraded in 1990, and an upgrade of the international terminals began in 1991. In April 1994, the Australian Government announced that all airports operated by Federal Airports Corporation would be privatised in several phases. The carparks were upgraded between 1995 and August 1997.

Melbourne Airport was privatised on 2 July 1997 when it was leased to the newly formed Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Limited. In July 1997, the Melbourne Airport website was launched, providing Australia's first real-time flight operations data over the internet. Since privatisation, further improvements to infrastructure have begun at the airport, including expansion of runways, car parks and terminals.

Melbourne Airport was originally called Tullamarine Airport, after the adjacent suburb of the same name. Tullamarine derives from the indigenous name Tullamareena. International has sporadically been used in the name of the airport. After privatisation, the name changed to Melbourne Airport, following the lead of most other major Australian airports. Locally, the airport is commonly referred to as Tullamarine or simply as Tulla to distinguish the airport from the other Melbourne airports: Avalon, Essendon and Moorabbin.

Awards and accolades

Melbourne Airport has been the recipient of numerous awards. The International Air Transport Association ranked Melbourne among the top five airports in the world in 1997 and 1998 and, in 2003, presented it with the Eagle Award. The Australian Airport Association named it the Airport of the Year in 1999, while Business Traveller Magazine and Airports Council International have ranked Melbourne in the top ten every year from 1996 to 2000 and in the top five for airports that handle between 15 and 25 million passengers. Melbourne is classified as a four-star airport by Skytrax.

The airport has received recognition in other areas. It has won national and state tourism awards, and Singapore Airlines presented the airport with the Service Partner Award and Premier Business Partner Award in 2002 and 2004, respectively. In 2006, the airport won the Australian Construction Achievement Award for the runway widening project, dubbed "the most outstanding example of construction excellence for 2006".

Operations

The T2 sign

Melbourne is the second busiest airport in Australia after Sydney. The airport is curfew-free and operates 24 hours a day, although between 2 am and 4 am, freight aircraft are more prevalent than passenger flights. In 2004, the environmental management systems were accredited ISO 14001, the world's best practice standard, making it the first airport in Australia to receive such accreditation.

Melbourne Airport terminal precinct

Route developments

Between 2005 and 2007 Melbourne Airport faced capacity strains with a shortfall of 500,000 international seats. British Airways pulled out of Melbourne, but Qantas replaced the lost flights in March 2006. This was compounded by the loss of the last European carrier, Austrian Airlines, in March 2007.

Over the 2008/09 fiscal year there has been a series of capacity increases at the airport, resulting in 725,000 new international seats. Korean Air began flying to Seoul on 22 September 2007, providing the first direct link to South Korea. Norfolk Air began operations with a weekly flight to Norfolk Island. Cathay Pacific increased its services to Hong Kong to thrice daily in October 2007, and Thai increased their flights to twice daily on 30 March 2008. Qantas began flights to Shanghai in 2008, Air China made its Shanghai–Beijing flights non-stop, avoiding Sydney, and China Southern Airlines added capacity to Guangzhou. Domestically, Skywest introduced a thrice-weekly Perth—Kalgoorlie—Melbourne service in November 2007 to cater for the mining industry, but this ended in November 2008. Tiger Airways Australia began operations in November 2007 with Melbourne Airport as its sole hub, serving destinations throughout Australia from Terminal 4.

Air New Zealand began daily direct flights to San Francisco via Auckland on 30 March 2008. Jetstar began flights to Singapore via Darwin on 17 April 2008, competing on price compared to the traditional non-stop flight. Air Vanuatu began a weekly service to Port Vila on 5 June 2007, and Norfolk Air added a second weekly flight to Norfolk Island on 1 September 2008. Both Malaysia Airlines and Garuda Indonesia increased their services in July 2008.

Pacific Blue entered the underserved Auckland market with daily flights from 22 September 2008 using the 737-800, while Air New Zealand also increased capacity. Qantas will significantly increase capacity to Los Angeles by progressively replacing the non-stop 747-400ER with the A380-800 from 20 October 2008 and replacing the last A330-200 one-stop services with the 747-400. Low-cost carrier AirAsia X will begin flying non-stop to Kuala Lumpur from 12 November 2008, competing with Malaysia Airlines on price. It will initially be flying four times a week before eventually increasing to daily. Emirates Airline will go thrice daily on 3 February 2009 using the Airbus A340-500. Etihad Airways will launch daily flights to Abu Dhabi from 29 March 2009 using the A340-600, providing further competition in the Middle East market. V Australia will launch flights to Los Angeles from 15 September 2009, providing year-round non-stop competition to Qantas.

Prospective users and routes

• Air Canada – Considering resuming Melbourne, timeframe indeterminate
• Air India – Originally planned to launch 1 November 2007, but now deferred till early 2009
• AlphaJet – A new start-up airline in the Australian domestic market will use Melbourne Airport as its hub originally planed to commence in November 2008; however this may be delayed due to regulatory approvals
• Delta Air Lines – Considering flying to Melbourne pending the availability of longer range aircraft.
• Japan Airlines – After Qantas's withdrawal from the route, they are considering re-launching flights to Tokyo.
• Jetstar Airways – Expansion to Kuala Lumpur, Rome and Athens when the airline receives its Boeing 787 aircraft.
• QantasLink - Plans to recommence services to Mount Hotham for the Winter 2009 season
• Qatar Airways – Received government approvals, and planned to launch service in late 2008. However, this has been delayed until late 2009 due to availability of aircraft.
• Royal Brunei Airlines – Trialed charter in 2003, has held discussions with Melbourne Airport and plans to launch services, timeframe indeterminate
• Virgin Atlantic – Currently codeshares with Singapore Airlines and is evaluating services using the Boeing 787, timeframe indeterminate.
• Viva Macau – Plans to launch flights by December

Airbus A380

The A380 at the airport for the first time as part of the testing programme

Construction works have been undertaken to prepare the airport for the arrival of the double-decker Airbus A380. The A380 has been purchased by several airlines using the airport, namely Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Thai, China Southern Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Etihad Airways and Emirates. The improvements included the construction of dual airbridges (Gates 9 and 11) with the ability to board both decks simultaneously to reduce turnaround times, the widening of the North—South runway and remote stands and taxiways by 15 metres (49 ft), the extension of the international terminal building by 20 metres (66 ft) to include new penthouse airline lounges, and the construction of an additional baggage carousel in the arrivals hall. As a result the airport was the first in Australia to be capable of handling the A380. The A380 made its first test flight into the airport on 14 November 2005. On 15 May 2008 the A380 made its first passenger flight into the airport when a Singapore Airlines Sydney-bound flight was diverted from Sydney Airport because of fog.

From 20 October 2008 Qantas was the first airline to operate the A380 from the airport, flying non-stop to Los Angeles International Airport twice a week. This was the inaugural route for the Qantas A380. Qantas will be followed by Emirates, who will operate the A380 to Dubai International Airport in 2009. Singapore Airlines intended to start operating the A380 to Singapore Changi Airport in 2008, but this has been delayed to the first quarter of 2010.

Avalon Airport

Main article: Avalon Airport

When Jetstar was established in 2004, it decided to operate flights to Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and Sydney from Avalon rather than Melbourne Airport. This made Melbourne the only city in Australia with two commercially served airports and generated airport competition for the first time in an Australian city. To compete with Avalon, Melbourne established the Budget Terminal and lowered landing fees, which made it the cheapest arrival point in Australia and one of the cheapest international airports in the world. Since then, Jetstar has moved its Perth and Adelaide flights to Melbourne Airport.

AirAsia X was widely expected to launch international flights to Kuala Lumpur from Avalon in October 2008. However, Linfox's proposal to upgrade Avalon's international facilities was rejected on 5 June 2008, which prompted AirAsia X to announce flights from Melbourne Airport on 20 August 2008. Linfox vowed to resolve the Government's concerns and build the terminal, but on 14 November 2008, announced that upgrading Avalon to handle international flights would no longer be viable due to the government's resistance.

Runways

Aerial shot of the airport showing runway, taxiway and terminal layout

Melbourne Airport has two intersecting runways: a 3,657 metres (11,998 ft) North-South runway and a 2,286 metres (7,500 ft) East-West runway. Due to increasing traffic, several runway expansions are planned, including an 843 metres (2,766 ft) extension of the North-South runway to lengthen it to 4,500 metres (14,800 ft), and a 1,214 metres (3,983 ft) extension of the East-West runway to a total of 3,500 metres (11,500 ft). Two new runways are also planned: a 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) runway parallel to the current North-South runway and a 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) runway south of the current East-West runway. Traffic movement is expected to reach 248,000 per annum by 2017, necessitating a third runway.

On 5 June 2008, it was announced that the airport intends to install a Category III landing system, allowing planes to land in low visibility conditions, such as fog, by the end of 2008. This system will be the first of its kind in Australia.

Melbourne Centre

Main article: Melbourne Centre

In addition to the onsite control tower, the airport is home to Melbourne Centre, an air traffic control facility that is responsible for the separation of aircraft in Australia's busiest Flight Information Region, Melbourne FIR. Melbourne FIR monitors airspace over Victoria, Tasmania, southern New South Wales, most of South Australia, the southern half of Western Australia and airspace over the Indian and Southern Ocean. In total, the centre controls 6% of the world's airspace. The airport is also the home of the Canberra Approach and Melbourne Approach facilities, which provide control services to aircraft arriving and departing at those airports.

Traffic and statistics

Melbourne Airport recorded more than 24.2 million passengers in 2007-08. 4.77 million of those were international, with the remaining 19.36 million being domestic. There were 193,826 aircraft movements, the vast majority being domestic passenger services. In the long term, the compounded average annual growth rate (CAAGR) for passenger movements is between 3.3% and 4.3%. For aircraft movements, the CAAGR is between 1.8% and 2.6%. This firmly entrenches Melbourne as Australia's second busiest airport, ahead of Brisbane and behind Sydney.

The following table lists passenger statistics for Melbourne Airport. Forecast statistics are in dark grey.

Annual passenger statistics for Melbourne Airport

Year	Passenger movements (millions)	Aircraft movements (thousands)
1997–98	14.20	154.13
1998–99	14.58	156.80
1999–00	15.57	164.67
2000–01	17.24	187.36
2001–02	16.48	157.60
2002–03	16.92	157.92
2003–04	19.16	165.26
2004–05	20.78	180.51
2005–06	21.43	179.51
2006–07	22.50	180.16
2007–08	24.26	193.826
2012–13	27.4–29.8	203.0–217.0
2017–18	32.5–37.1	223.9–247.4
2022–23	38.5–45.8	243.9–281.7
2027–28	43.9–54.9	263.2–316.5

Busiest international freight routes out of Melbourne Airport (FY 2008)

Rank	Airport	Freight tonnes handled	% Change
1	Singapore Changi Airport	52,459.2	4.8
2	Hong Kong International Airport	34,823.5	1.6
3	Auckland Airport	31,239.9	4.3
4	Kuala Lumpur International Airport	21,068.6	0.1
5	Suvarnabhumi Airport	16,513.1	22.5
6	Dubai International Airport	13,155.2	2.0
7	O'Hare International Airport	6,709.0	13.2
8	Los Angeles International Airport	6,558.3	25.6
9	Luxembourg-Findel International Airport	3,904.8	14.6
10	Ngurah Rai International Airport	3,029.0	32.0

Busiest international passenger routes out of Melbourne Airport (FY 2008)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% Change
1	Singapore Changi Airport	840,180	0.5
2	Auckland Airport	705,889	4.8
3	Hong Kong International Airport	459,169	22.1
4	Suvarnabhumi Airport	401,354	31.4
5	Kuala Lumpur International Airport	331,986	6.5
6	Los Angeles International Airport	306,235	6.6
7	Dubai International Airport	299,098	4.2
8	Christchurch International Airport	281,676	6.1
9	London Heathrow Airport	225,991	1.7
10	Wellington International Airport	142,580	6.2

Busiest domestic passenger routes out of Melbourne Airport (YE December 2008)

Rank	Airport	Passengers handled	% Change
1	Sydney Airport	7,008,000	3.1
2	Brisbane Airport	2,688,500	0.4
3	Adelaide Airport	2,122,700	13.1
4	Perth Airport	1,772,200	10.3
5	Gold Coast Airport	1,673,500	26.3
6	Hobart International Airport	1,157,800	15.0
7	Canberra International Airport	1,068,500	11.1
8	Launceston Airport	842,900	11.1
9	Cairns Airport	482,200	7.8
10	Sunshine Coast Airport	452,100	12.9

Access

Car

Tullamarine Freeway at the Calder Freeway turnoff

Melbourne Airport is 23 kilometres (14 mi) from the city centre and is accessible via CityLink and the Tullamarine Freeway. One freeway offramp runs directly into the airport grounds, and a second to the south serves freight transport, taxis, buses and airport staff. Melbourne Airport has five car parks, all of which operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The short-term, multi-level long-term, business and express carparks are covered, while the long-term parking is not. The main multi-level carpark in front of the terminal was built in the late 1990s, replacing the pre-existing ground-level car parking. It has been progressively expanded ever since.

Public transport

The Skybus Super Shuttle service is the main public transport link to the airport, taking approximately 20 minutes to reach Southern Cross Station in the Melbourne central business district. From Southern Cross, travellers can access V/Line regional and Connex Melbourne suburban trains, Yarra Trams and interstate train and bus services. Three local bus services under the Metcard fare system service the airport: Route 478 between Moonee Ponds Junction and Melbourne Airport, Route 479 from Moonee Ponds to Sunbury via the airport, and Route 500 between Broadmeadows railway station and Victoria University in Sunbury.

There are nine other bus companies serving the airport, with services to Ballarat, Bendigo, Dandenongs, Frankston, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Melbourne suburbs, Shepparton and the Riverina. These negate the need to transfer onto V/Line services. A daily return service from the states north—starting in Shepparton, passing through Nagambie, Seymour and Broadford—is operated by Airport Direct. Bendigo Airport Service offers return buses between Bendigo and the airport four times a day. From Geelong, Gull Bus operates approximately every one to two hours.

Rail link

The possibility of installing a rail link from what was known as the Broadmeadows (now the Craigieburn Suburban Line) to the airport was debated in the 1960s, but little progress was made.

In 2001, the state government investigated the construction of a heavy rail link to the airport under the Linking Victoria program. Two options were considered; the first branched off the Craigieburn Suburban Line to the east, and the second branched off the Albion Goods Line, which passes close to the airport's boundary to the south. The second option was preferred. Market research concluded most passengers preferred traveling to the airport by taxi or car, and poor patronage of similar links in Sydney and Brisbane cast doubt on the viability of the project. This led to the project being deferred until at least 2012. On 21 July 2008, the Premier of Victoria reaffirmed the government's commitment to a rail link and said that it would be considered within three to five years. To maximise future development options, the airport is lobbying for the on-grounds section of the railway to be underground.

Terminals

Melbourne Airport's terminals have 56 gates: 40 domestic and 16 international. There are six dedicated freighter parking positions on the Southern Freighter Apron. The current terminal numbering system was introduced in July 2005; they were previously known as Qantas Domestic, International, and South (formerly Ansett Domestic).

Terminal 1

Qantas Logo at the front of T1

Terminal 1 hosts domestic services for Qantas Group airlines, Qantas, Jetstar and QantasLink and is located to the northern end of the building. Departures are located on the first floor, while arrivals are located on the ground floor. The terminal has 15 parking bays served by aerobridges; 11 are served by single aerobridges whilst 4 are served by double aerobridges.

In late 1999, an expanded Qantas terminal was opened, featuring a second pier, a new access roadway and the expansion of the terminal. The works cost $50 million and took two years to complete. Today, a wide range of shops and food outlets are situated at the end of the terminal near the entrance into Terminal 2. Qantas has a Qantas Club lounge in the terminal.

Terminal 2

T2 International arrivals

Terminal 2 handles all international flights out of Melbourne Airport with the exception of Jetstar's flight to Singapore, which operates via Darwin. The terminal has 16 gates, although gates 12–16 are "standoff" (or non-airbridge gates). There are 11 parking bays supported by aerobridges. Of these, 3 are served by double aerobridges whilst 8 are single. Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand/United Airlines and Emirates Airline all operate airline lounges in the terminal.

A $330 million expansion program for Terminal 2 was announced in 2007. The objectives of this project include new lounges and retail facilities, a new satellite terminal, increased luggage capacity and a redesign of customs and security areas. A new satellite terminal will feature floor-to-ceiling windows that will offer views of the North-South runway. The new concourse will include three double-decker aerobridges, each accommodating an A380 aircraft or two smaller aircraft. The baggage handling capacity will be increased, and two new baggage carousels will cater to increased A380 traffic. Work commenced in November 2007 and will be completed in 2012.

Although described as a satellite terminal, the terminal building will be connected by an above-ground corridor to Terminal 2. Diagrams of the proposed extension indicate that departures will take place on the lower deck (similar to the A380 boarding lounges currently in use at Gates 9 and 11), with arrivals streamed on to the first floor to connect with the current first floor arrivals deck.

Terminal 3

Gate 13 used by Virgin Blue at T3

Owned by Melbourne Airport, Terminal 3 is home to Virgin Blue and Regional Express. It currently has 11 parking bays served by single aerobridges.

An expansion of the terminal was approved in 2000 and completed in 2002 when a second pier was added to the south for use by smaller regional airlines. The terminal was used exclusively by Ansett Australia until its collapse in 2001; as a result, Virgin Blue moved in from what was then called Domestic Express (now Terminal 4), and has since began operating The Lounge in the terminal. Regional Express also operate an airline lounge in the terminal.

Terminal 4

Terminal 4—originally called the Domestic Express or South Terminal—is dedicated to budget airlines and is the first facility of its kind at a conventional airport in Australia. Originally constructed for Virgin Blue and Impulse Airlines, it has also been used by Regional Express. Virgin Blue and Regional Express eventually moved into Terminal 3 following the demise of Ansett. A $5 million refit began in June 2007 along the lines of the budget terminal model at Singapore Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Lower landing and airport handling fees are charged to airlines due to the basic facilities, lack of aerobridges, and fewer amenities and retail outlets compared to a convention terminal. However, the terminal is located next to the main terminal building, unlike in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The terminal was rebuilt by Tiger Airways Australia, who have used it as their main hub since they operated their first domestic flight on 23 November 2007.

Jetstar Airways confirmed its involvement in discussions with Melbourne Airport regarding the expansion of terminal facilities to accommodate for the growth of domestic low-cost services. The proposed expansion of Terminal 4 includes infrastructure to accommodate Tiger Airways Australia and Jetstar Airways flights. These plans are currently in development, and the expansion of Terminal 4 would include the relocation of the current freight centre. If approved, the development is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take five years to complete.

Southern Freighter Apron

The Southern Freighter Apron has five dedicated freighter parking positions which host 21 dedicated freighter operations a week. In August 1997, the fifth freighter parking position and the apron was extended.

Other facilities

The Airport Hilton Hotel

Melbourne Airport is served by three hotels. A Hilton is located 100 metres (330 ft) from Terminal 2 atop the multi-level carpark. Work commenced on the six-story 280 room hotel in January 1999, which was completed in mid-2000. Holiday Inn has an outlet located 400 metres (1,300 ft) from the terminal precinct. Motel Formule 1 offers lodgings located 600 metres (2,000 ft) from the terminals. A BP petrol station, Mercedes-Benz dealership and a McDonald's are located on the main entrance road. Melbourne Airport Golf Club is located adjacent to the North-South runway.

Airlines and destinations

A Virgin Blue Boeing 737 during a turn-around at T3

Overview of Terminal 1 with Qantas and Jetstar aircraft

Atlas Air Boeing 747 on the Southern Freighter Apron

Tiger Airways Australia A320 taxiing

The following airlines operate services to Melbourne Airport using their own aircraft. Many others operate services as codeshares.

Airlines operating in Melbourne Airport

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal
Air China	Beijing-Capital, Shanghai-Pudong	2
Air Mauritius	Mauritius	2
Air New Zealand	Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin [seasonal], Queenstown, Rarotonga, Wellington	2
Air New Zealand Cargo operated by Atlas Air	Auckland, Chicago-O'Hare, Frankfurt, Shanghai-Pudong [ends 28 March]	Southern Freighter Apron
Air Pacific	Nadi	2
Air Vanuatu	Port Vila	2
AirAsia X	Kuala Lumpur-Sepang	2
Australian air Express	Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Hobart, Launceston, Perth, Sydney, Townsville	Southern Freighter Apron
Cargolux	Auckland, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Singapore	Southern Freighter Apron
Cathay Pacific	Hong KongTemplate:Fn	2
Cathay Pacific Cargo	Hong Kong, Sydney	Southern Freighter Apron
China Eastern Airlines	Shanghai-Pudong	2
China Southern Airlines	Guangzhou	2
Emirates Airline	Auckland, Dubai, Singapore	2
Etihad Airways	Abu Dhabi [begins 29 March]	2
Garuda Indonesia	Denpasar/Bali	2
Korean Air	Seoul-Incheon	2
Malaysia Airlines	Kuala Lumpur-Sepang	2
MASkargo	Kuala Lumpur-Sepang, Sydney	Southern Freighter Apron
Norfolk Air operated by Our Airline	Norfolk Island [begins 21 May]	2
Norfolk Air operated by OzJet	Norfolk Island [ends 21 May]	2
Philippine Airlines	ManilaTemplate:Fn	2
Qantas (International) Jetstar Airways (International)	Auckland, Hong Kong, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Queenstown [seasonal], Shanghai-Pudong [ends 28 March], Singapore, Wellington Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi, Christchurch, Denpasar/Bali, Honolulu, Sydney	2
Qantas (Domestic) QantasLink Jetstar Airways (Domestic)	Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Broome [seasonal], Cairns, Canberra, Hobart, Perth, Sydney Canberra, Devonport, Launceston, Mildura Adelaide, Ballina/Byron, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Hamilton Island, Hobart, Launceston, Newcastle, Perth, Singapore, Sunshine Coast, Townsville	1
Qantas Freight operated by Atlas Air	Auckland, Chicago-O'Hare, New York-JFK, Singapore	Southern Freighter Apron
Regional Express	Albury, Burnie, King Island, Merimbula, Mildura, Mount Gambier, Wagga Wagga	3
Singapore Airlines	Singapore	2
Singapore Airlines Cargo	Adelaide, Auckland, Singapore	Southern Freighter Apron
Thai Airways International	Bangkok-Suvarnabhumi	2
Tiger Airways Australia	Adelaide, Alice Springs, Canberra, Gold Coast, Hobart, Launceston, Mackay, Perth, Rockhampton, Sunshine Coast	4
Toll Priority Toll Priority operated by Jetcraft Aviation	Brisbane, Perth, Sydney Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney	Southern Freighter Apron
United Airlines	Los AngelesTemplate:Fn	2
Vietnam Airlines	Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City	2
Virgin Blue Pacific Blue V Australia	Auckland, Christchurch Los Angeles [begins 15 September]	2
Virgin Blue	Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Hobart, Mildura, Newcastle, Launceston, Perth, Sunshine Coast, Sydney	3

Template:Fn: Stops in Sydney, however United Airlines and Philippine Airlines do not convey domestic passengers between Melbourne and Sydney.

Template:Fn: Selected Cathay Pacific flights stop in Adelaide but do not convey domestic passengers.

Accidents and incidents

• On 29 May 2003, Qantas Flight 1737—en route to Launceston Airport—was hijacked shortly after takeoff. The hijacker, a passenger named David Robinson, intended to fly the plane into the Walls of Jerusalem National Park located in central Tasmania. The flight attendants and passengers successfully subdued and restrained the hijacker, and the plane turned around and landed safely at Melbourne.

• On 21 February 2005, a mystery illness caused the evacuation and closure of what was then the South Terminal. The incident began at 7:10 am when a female collapsed in the terminal building. The terminal was closed at 10:10 am because several individuals exhibited symptoms and were hospitalised. In all, 57 individuals were treated by ambulance officers, 47 of whom were hospitalised. All flights landing at the affected terminal were bused to the Patrick Freight facility and unloaded. The South Terminal reopened at 6 pm. The mystery illness was never determined.

See also

• City of Keilor – the former local government area of which Melbourne Airport was a part
• List of airports in Australia
• Transport in Australia
• Avalon Airport
• Moorabbin Airport
• Essendon Airport

Notes

1. ^ The airport is the number one destination for Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra and Sydney airports. It is not the number one destination for Brisbane or Darwin airports, where it falls second.

External links

• Melbourne Airport website
• Flight Information
• Skybus website
• En Route Supplement
• Template:WAD