How Melbourne Airport’s Third Runway Project benefits local communities
Beyond greater capacity, Melbourne Airport’s $3 billion privately funded third runway project is delivering real benefits for nearby residents, workers and businesses, as well as exporters across Victoria.
Ask Keilor or Bulla and you will get the unpolished version. Melbourne Airport’s third runway means construction is on the way and aircraft noise changes once flights begin. These concerns are real. So are their associated commitments, from the airport-funded Noise Sharing Plan and Noise Abatement Program to the independent 20-year Community Health Study.
Here’s the other half of the ledger: What are the locals taking back? Third Runway Project It is a privately financed $3 billion structure planned to open in 2031, and the returns are tangible. Think more flight options, thousands of jobs closer to home, more trade for local businesses and a more stable export route for Victorian producers.
More choice in flight times and destinations
The third runway, built 1.3 kilometers west of the existing north-south strip, creates a parallel runway system that can perform takeoffs and landings simultaneously. This is important because demand is not slowing down.
Approximately 36 million passengers pass through Melbourne Airport every year. The airport’s forecasts predict this number will double to 76 million by 2042, and Melbourne’s population will reach 6 million by 2032. Six of Australia’s 10 busiest domestic routes also pass through Melbourne Airport, and this is today.
More capacity means more airlines on more routes, giving passengers the chance to get lower fares. New destinations follow the same logic. Airlines are adding routes where slots are available, and from 2031 Melbourne Airport’s capacity to say yes will increase.
Thousands of jobs close to home
The structure itself is a work program. A big one. The airport expects approximately 10,700 direct and indirect jobs during the construction of the new runway, on site and through the supply chain behind it.
Figures like these match the scale of the third runway, which is 3,000 meters long, requiring the moving of nearly five million cubic meters of soil. Federal approval came in September 2024, and initial studies began the following year. Main construction started this year and will open in 2031.
But the longer story goes beyond structure. The airport’s forecasts indicate that: 37,000 additional jobs Much of this will be possible in Victoria by 2046 thanks to the new runway. Most of the people working in the airport area already live nearby, so it comes down to where the workers are.
More commerce for local businesses
More flights means more people on the ground and people on the ground spending. More than 240,000 aircraft movements occur at the airport annually, each one landing or taking off near someone’s workplace.
Once the new runway opens, this means approximately 136,500 movements each year. Passengers on these flights need transportation, accommodation and daily services, and these expenses go to local businesses.
For the Victorian economy, the airport’s forecast calls for expanded lifting capacity to be around $5.9 billion a year once the third runway is operational. If you run a business near the area, this math will eventually come through your door.
A stronger export pipeline for Victorian producers
The cargo story gets less attention than the passenger story, and it shouldn’t. Approximately 40% of Australia’s air transport exports pass through Melbourne Airport and many Victorian livelihoods depend on it.
Today this cargo shares runway time with every passenger flight of the day, so delays from one fluctuate to the next. A parallel runway system distributes the load, meaning reliable schedules and a more consistent run to overseas markets.
For producers who transport fresh food, a missed departure means money left on the tarmac. More stable takeoffs and landings ensure that more of this value remains in Victorian hands.
How can local people follow the project from here?
Every stage from now until the first flight is publicly planned, with dates added. Main construction continues this year. Detailed airfield design will be due by 2029, testing will take place in 2030 and the runway is planned to open in 2031.
The community side is alive right now. More than 500 residents have already helped shape the Noise Sharing Plan and the Draft Noise Reduction Plan will reach the Federal Minister this year.
Study announcements and information notes remain Melbourne Airport’s Projects Centerand the process of giving your word is still open for calls to be made. If you live on a future flight path, this is the part worth watching.
