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. Read more of our frequently asked questions.
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.
Community Consultation
While the third runway has been approved by the Federal Government, there are still opportunities for the community to get involved on various aspects of the project. Learn more about the various workstreams underway and how and when you can have your say by clicking the illustration below.
News and Resources
Construction
Learn about the key construction phases of the third runway project. If you've got questions, you can always come see us at one of our community pop-ups or contact us.
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 sharing 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.
We will be undertaking a small-scale blasting trial in October 2025 to check our proposed methodology. The results of this trial will then inform our main works when they commence in 2026. This will involve two blasts on two separate days, which will take place during the daytime. The blasting site is inside the airport boundary, more than 1.4 kilometres from the closest resident in Bulla. We have notified local residents who may notice the trial. You can read more in the fact sheet below or watch this short video.
Community pop-ups:
Tuesday 16 September
12pm-2pm, Sunbury Road viewing area
Sunday 21 September
1pm-3pm, Sunbury Road viewing area
Monday 3 October
9am-11am, Sunbury Road viewing area
Main construction
In 2026, Melbourne Airport will begin the major earthworks required to level the site for the runway and taxiways. This work will take several years, with the runway opening in 2031.
During construction, temporary changes will be required to some airfield operations 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.
Construction considerations
A study into the Indigenous cultural heritage of the third runway site has been conducted, and a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) developed. The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation has approved the CHMP. This plan includes working in consultation with the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung to determine how to excavate and manage items of significance if they need to be disturbed by the project.
A total of 17 Aboriginal places were identified within the third runway footprint. Melbourne Airport is completing a process of archaeological salvage to collect and record archaeological deposits, to comply with the approved CHMP.
In addition, Melbourne Airport identified 10 European heritage sites within the third runway footprint that will be directly impacted by the development. These sites relate to early European settlement in the Tullamarine area, most from mid to late 19th century. Impacts will be mitigated through archaeological salvage and recording.
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals used for decades in products like non-stick cookware, carpets, clothing and firefighting foams. PFAS are commonly found in soils and water, especially at sites like airports where firefighting foams were historically used.
At Melbourne Airport, PFAS contamination is closely monitored and managed in line with environmental regulations, in collaboration with stakeholders such as Airservices Australia, airport tenants and government agencies.
As part of the third runway project, Melbourne Airport has developed a government-approved PFAS Management Plan to minimise environmental risks from legacy contamination. This plan includes safely reusing PFAS-impacted soil within the project, preventing runoff into local waterways and managing known areas of past PFAS use. Read more in the fact sheet below.
Communications
Melbourne Airport will ensure continued communication with stakeholders throughout the construction period. You can read about the communications and engagement approach in the Third Runway Construction Communications Strategy.
Complaints
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.