Rate & Review MEL
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Traveler Guides
Current Conditions
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Route Intelligence
Airport Connectivity Score
Regional Hub
Calculated from destination count, airline diversity, and haul-mix coverage. More signals (customs/border access, ground handling capacity) will be added as the dataset grows.
Runways
Haul Mix
Geographic Context
10 Nearest Airports
ATC Frequencies7
Top Aircraft Types
Live Departures & Arrivals39
Source: adsb.lol — community ADS-B network. Approximate local traffic within 40nm, not a definitive schedule.
Aircraft Spotted Here
Photo: aideenkhan13 via JetPhotos
Photo: Riv Blundstone via JetPhotos
Photo: Nicholas Kimura via JetPhotos
Photo: Brock L via JetPhotos
Photo: Tzeman Kenny Ho via JetPhotos
Photo: JinYang via JetPhotosPhotos © their respective photographers, via JetPhotos.com — click a photo to view the original.
Airline Records in Dataset33
Data Notes & Community Corrections
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External Links
Airport HistoryEst. 1970
Melbourne Airport opened on July 1, 1970, in the suburb of Tullamarine, replacing Essendon Airport, whose short runways and residential surroundings could no longer support jet-age traffic. Privatized in 1997, it has grown into Australia's second-busiest airport and a major international hub, notable for round-the-clock, curfew-free operations.
In May 1959 the Commonwealth Government acquires 5,300 hectares at Tullamarine after a panel evaluates alternatives to the constrained Essendon Airport.
The airport opens on July 1, 1970 with three connected terminals, replacing Essendon Airport as Melbourne's main air gateway; domestic operations fully transfer the following year.
On June 30, 1997 Australia Pacific Airports Corporation acquires the airport lease for AU$1.3 billion under a 50-year lease with a 49-year extension option, as part of nationwide federal airport privatization.
On May 29, 2003, a passenger attempts to hijack Qantas Flight 1737 shortly after departure from Melbourne using sharpened wooden stakes; other passengers subdue him, and the flight returns safely.
The main runway is widened by 15 meters, making Melbourne the first Australian airport certified to handle the Airbus A380.
A AU$330 million expansion of the international Terminal 2, including a new satellite concourse, is completed between 2008 and 2011.
In September 2024 the Australian Federal Government approves construction of a third runway, a roughly AU$3 billion project targeted for completion by 2031.
General encyclopedic sources (Wikipedia). Third-runway cost/timeline (2024 announcement, 2031 target) reflects the latest reporting found and may shift as the project proceeds.