Building Your Airport
Melbourne Airport is building a third runway, which will deliver much needed aviation infrastructure capacity for Victoria and help support thousands of new jobs.
37,000
additional jobs by 2046
$3 billion
project cost
2031
opening
Runway approved
Early works and community health study terms of reference begin
Noise sharing and airspace concept design refinement
Early construction works begin
Noise amelioration plan finalised and main construction works begin
Community health study begins
Detailed airspace design finalised
Operational readiness and testing of the third runway
Runway opens
All works complete
Frequently asked questions
Melbourne Airport welcomes the Federal Government's approval of our third runway, which will deliver much needed aviation infrastructure capacity for Victoria and help support thousands of new jobs.
The parallel runway system will significantly increase Melbourne Airport’s capacity by allowing for simultaneous take-offs and landings, which will help reduce delays, encourage growth and facilitate competition between airlines. It will ensure we have adequate capacity to serve Victoria’s needs for decades to come and will benefit Victorian travellers and exporters. With more than 76 million travellers expected by 2042, it's important we plan for this demand.
Early works activities ahead of construction will begin in 2025, with planes expected to be landing on the runway by 2031.
The new runway will be 3,000m long and will be constructed 1.3 kilometres to the west of the current north-south runway. The existing east-west runway is currently 2,286m long and, as part of construction, it will be shortened by 346 metres from the western end. However, as part of noise-sharing measures, the eastern end of the runway will later be extended by the same amount.
Airports by nature are busy, noisy places that can impact neighbouring communities. When the new runway is operational residents close to the approach and departure flight paths will notice more aircraft flying overhead. Suburbs very close to the airport, particularly Keilor and Bulla, will experience the most noticeable changes. Melbourne Airport is preparing a Noise Sharing Plan that will outline how the airport will share and lessen noise for nearby neighbours.
We are currently developing a Noise Amelioration Plan & Program in consultation with key stakeholders. This could include improvements like double-glazing windows, upgraded vents and seals, and acoustic insulation for eligible homes, schools, childcare and healthcare facilities. The boundaries of the plan, which will be defined by noise forecasts. Consultation on the plan’s scope will begin in 2025, and we’ll submit the final plan to the Federal Government for approval in 2026. Once approved, eligible property owners will be contacted directly.
Community pop-ups
Want to know more about the third runway project? Chat with our team at these upcoming events:
Sunday 21 September
9am-3pm, Bohemian Bulla Market, Green Street, Bulla
Friday 26 September
9am-5pm, Keilor Cup, Keilor Park Recreation Reserve, Stadium Drive, Keilor Park
Saturday 1 November
9am-1pm, Woodend Community Farmers' Market, Cnr. of Forest and High Streets, Woodend
Sunday 30 November
11am-4pm, Scottish Festival at Overnewton Castle, 51 Overnewton Rd, Keilor
Sunday 7 December
6am-12pm, Run2Cure, Palms Lawn, Albert Park
Construction works
Early works are underway on Melbourne Airport's third runway, including upgrades to Sunbury Road to ensure safe entry and exit for construction vehicles entering and exiting the airport at the northern entry.
For updates and information, visit our Disruptions page.
News and Resources
Construction
Learn about the key construction phases of the third runway project.
Early and preliminary works
Before main construction on the project begins in 2026, there are several early and preliminary works activities that take place.
Melbourne Airport is making changes to Sunbury Road at the north of the airport. These roadworks are in preparation for construction of the third runway, to allow for safe entry and exit of trucks and vehicles onto airport land.
This will cause disruptions for traffic, and we apologise for the inconvenience. We are currently working through the traffic management plans and will share information about delays, changes and disruptions.
To build the third runway, we will excavate around five million cubic metres of material. This material needs to be excavated so that we can create the flat platform required for the runway, and it will then be re-used onsite.
The area where the future runway is located also contains rocky regions. While much of the material can be removed using earthworks equipment, some will require different methods – including blasting.
You can read more about the rock blasting trial in this fact sheet.
Main construction
Melbourne Airport will undertake major earthworks to level the site for the runway and taxiways.
Temporary changes will be required to some airfield operations during construction phases to allow for the installation of connecting taxiways and runway crossing points, as well as changes to the east-west runway.
Any changes to existing runway use that alter the way flight paths are used will be communicated to the community and other stakeholders before they occur, as some communities will experience an increase or decrease in aircraft noise over the course of the project.
Contact Us
Have a question about the project which isn't answered elsewhere or would you like to provide comment or feedback? Send us an enquiry using the form on this page.