Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 06:23, 1 May 2009

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 / 37.673361°S 144.843389°E / -37.673361; 144.843389
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

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

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.

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, but later ended in March 2009. 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.

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 via Auckland 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. Qatar Airways will commence services to Doha, Qatar from October 2009, the third carrier to serve the Middle East.

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
• Cebu Pacific - Applied for twice weekly flights to Melbourne.
• Delta Air Lines – Considering flying to Melbourne pending the availability of longer range aircraft.
• El Al - Considering launching flights to Tel Aviv as part of long term expansion plans.
• 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.
• 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

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, Qatar Airways, 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

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. Then on 10 March 2009, Linfox announced that Avalon would indeed handle international flights within two years and the Government would approve of a $50 million terminal by the end of 2009.

Runways

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

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 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

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

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, Business Class and a Chairmans lounge in the terminal.

Terminal 2

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

Terminal 3 - Originally the Ansett Australia terminal is now owned by Melbourne Airport. Terminal 3 is home to Virgin Blue and Regional Express. It currently has eleven parking bays served by single aerobridges and eight parking bays not equipped with aerobridges.

An expansion of the terminal was approved in 1989 and completed in 1991 when a second pier was added by Ansett to the south for use by smaller regional airline Kendell. The terminal was used exclusively by the Ansett Group for all its domestic activities until its collapse in 2001. It was intended to be used by the "New" Ansett, under ownership of Tesna — however, following the Tesna group's widthdrawl of the purchase of Ansett in 2002, the terminal was sold back to Melbourne Airport by Ansett's administrators. as a result, Melbourne Airport undertook a major renovation and facelift of the terminal, following which Virgin Blue moved in from what was then called Domestic Express (now Terminal 4), and has since began operating The Lounge in the terminal, using the former Ansett Golden Wing Lounge area. 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. Virgin Blue 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

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

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

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.

• On 20 March 2009, Emirates Airline Flight 407—en route to Dubai International Airport, an Airbus A340-500 was taking off from Melbourne Airport on Runway 16 and failed to become airborne. When the plane was nearing the end of the runway, the crew pulled up sharply causing the tail of the plane to scrape along the runway during which smoke was observed in the cabin. The crew dumped fuel and returned to the airport. The damage caused to the plane was considered substantial. The ATSB is continuing its investigation into the accident. It is believed the plane damaged a strobe light at the end of the runway as well as a antennae on a small building.

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.

References

1. "2007/2008 passenger results positive for Melbourne Airport". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2008-07-21.
2. ^ "Movements at Australian Airports" (PDF). Airservices Australia. 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-27. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
3. "OAG reveals latest industry intelligence on the busiest routes" (Press release). OAG. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2008-08-23.
4. "Melbourne air freight exports top Sydney for the first time" (Press release). Victorian Government. 2009-02-26. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
5. "2003 Annual Report" (PDF). Melbourne Airport. 2003. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
6. ^ "Melbourne's Airport – A World Class Operator". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2003-06-03. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
7. ^ "Melbourne Airport Wins Australian Tourism Award". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 1998-10-16. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
8. ^ "Second Major Australian Tourism Award for Melbourne Airport". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2000-12-01. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
9. ^ "World Airport Star Ranking". Skytrax. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
10. ^ "Essendon Airport, Tullamarine Fwy, Strathmore, VIC, Australia". Register of the National Estate. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
11. "Melbourne to Get Jetport In 5-Year Development Plan". The New York Times. 1962-11-27. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
12. "12,000-Car Melbourne Jam". The New York Times. 1970-06-29. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
13. "Melbourne to Get Jetport In 5-Year Development Plan". The New York Times. 1967-12-22. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
14. "Essendon Airport History". City of Moonee Valley. Retrieved 2008-07-20.
15. ^ "1997-1998 Annual Report" (PDF). Melbourne Airport. 1998. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
16. "Airport Privatisation". MarketResearch.com. 2006-04-25. Retrieved 2008-07-20. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
17. ^ Moynihan, Stephen (2007-07-13). "Tiger bites into fares, but Tulla bleeds". The Age. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
18. ^ Murphy, Mathew (2008-05-19). "Jetstar bid for Tulla expansion". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
19. "Melbourne Airport Voted in Top 5 World Airports". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 1998-04-20. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
20. ^ "Melbourne Airport — Awards". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
21. "Eagle Award Recognition 1998 - 2008". International Air Transport Association. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
22. "Melbourne Airport Is Tops For Business Travellers". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2000-10-26. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
23. "Melbourne Airport named in World's Top Five". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
24. "Airport Service Quality Awards 2007" (Press release). Airports Council International. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
25. "Melbourne Airport awarded by Singapore Airlines". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2004-06-25. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
26. "Runway widening project wins major Aust. construction award". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2006-06-20. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
27. ^ "Melbourne Flight summary" (PDF). Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
28. "Melbourne Airport — Environment". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
29. "Qantas to double flights between Melbourne and London". Asia Travel Tips. 2005-12-15. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
30. Moynihan, Stephen (2007-01-24). "Austrian Airlines flies out". The Age. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
31. "End of Year Wrap Up for Australia Pacific Airports Corporation". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2008-08-27. Retrieved 2008-09-26.
32. Murphy, Mathew (2007-09-05). "Korean Air to announce new Melbourne service". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
33. "Cathay Pacific goes triple daily from Melbourne". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2007-07-19. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
34. "Air China strengthens position as carrier of choice between Australia & China". e-Travel Blackboard. 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
35. "China Southern introduces Melbourne-Guangzhou direct service". e-Travel Blackboard. 2007-10-05. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
36. "Skywest Suspends Kalgoorlie to Melbourne Services" (Press release). Skywest Airlines. 2008-07-29. Retrieved 2008-07-31.
37. "Jetstar to fly Melbourne-Singapore route". The Age. 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
38. ^ "Air Vanuatu to commence Melbourne service". Aviation Record. 2008-03-13. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
39. "Norfolk Air adds Melbourne service". Aviation Record. 2008-03-10. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
40. "Garuda expands capacity on more Australian routes". Aviation Record. 2008-05-05. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
41. "Virgin Blue launches daily Melbourne-Auckland service". Aviation Record. 2008-07-28. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
42. "Air NZ to increase seats to Australia". The Age. 2008-03-25. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
43. ^ "The Qantas A380 - Now on sale" (Press release). Qantas. 2008-06-16. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
44. ^ "AirAsia X flies direct to Melbourne". Peanuts! Online. 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-08-20.
45. "Emirates announces third Melbourne flight". Travel Weekly. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-07-25.
46. ^ "Etihad to launch flights to Melbourne in 2009" (Press release). Etihad Airways. 2008-07-28. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
47. ^ "V Australia announces third Trans-Pacific route direct Melbourne — Los Angeles flights" (Press release). V Australia. 2009-02-07. Retrieved 2009-02-11.
48. ^ "Qatar Airways Unveils Robust Expansion Plans" (Press release). Qatar Airways. 2009-03-11. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
49. Creedy, Steve (2007-11-23). "Canada joins Australia's open air route view". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
50. "Melbourne sole destination for Indian Airlines". The Age. 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
51. Phadnis, Ashwini (2007-09-22). "Air India pushes back Australia plans". The Hindi. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
52. Kumar, Nirbhay (2007-03-05). "Find fresh skies, govt tells airlines". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
53. Easdown, Geoff (2008-06-20). "VivaJet Airlines check in at Wavell St, Bentleigh". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
54. Teresa, Ooi (2008-06-20). "VivaJet to take wing despite crisis". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-06-30. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
55. Easdown, Geoff (2008-06-21). "CASA says VivaJet won't operate this year". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
56. "Cebu Pacific seeks flights to Brunei and Australia". BusinessWorld Online. 2009-04-16. Retrieved 2009-04-18.
57. Rochfort, Scott (2008-12-19). "Delta to compete with Qantas on Sydney-LA route". The Age. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
58. Kohn, Peter (2009-03-11). "El Al direct flights still on agenda". Australian Jewish News. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
59. "JAL likes the look of Melbourne" (PDF). Travel Weekly. 2008-09-01. Retrieved 2008-09-01.
60. Sidhu, B. K. (2008-02-18). "Jetstar keen to add new routes". The Star. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
61. Murphy, Mathew (2007-08-08). "Jetstar to drop Melbourne flights to Hawaii". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
62. Boey, Caroline (2003-07-03). "Royal Brunei starts charter to Melbourne". TTG Asia. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
63. "Royal Brunei eyes Melbourne, Adelaide". Travel Weekly. 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
64. "Delegate Report on Launch of Brunei Halal Brand" (PDF). City of Hume. 2007–08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
65. "Virgin Atlantic Makes Europe's Largest Single Order for Fuel-Efficient Boeing 787 Dreamliners" (Press release). Virgin Atlantic. 2007-04-24. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
66. "Virgin sets long term sights on Melbourne". Travel Weekly. 2006-10-11. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
67. "Viva to double Macau-Sydney flights". Aviation Record. 2008-02-25. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
68. "Melbourne — Australia's first fully A380-ready city". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2005-11-10. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
69. Barnes, Renee (2005-11-14). "The Airbus has landed". The Age. Retrieved 2008-09-29.
70. "Seven News Melbourne". Episode 2008-05-15. 2008-05-15. {{cite episode}}: Missing or empty |series= (help)
71. Murphy, Mathew (2007-11-21). "Correct weight for Emirates A380". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
72. Platt, Craig (2007-10-10). "Superjumbo arrives in Melbourne". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
73. Creedy, Steve (2008-09-12). "Australia holds up well under softer economy". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
74. "History made as Avalon Airport welcomes first Jetstar flight" (PDF) (Press release). Jetstar Airways. 2004-06-01. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
75. Hawthorne, Mark (2007-05-31). "Fee deal aims to lure airlines to Melbourne". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
76. Newman, Geoffery (2007-06-01). "Melbourne to cut air fees as Tiger takes off". The Australian. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
77. The Australian (2008-05-16). "Perth shows it has the X factor in the battle to attract low-cost Malaysian airline". News Limited. Retrieved 2008-05-19.
78. ^ The Age (2008-06-05). "Linfox's Avalon Airport plans rejected". Fairfax Media. Retrieved 2008-06-05.
79. Herald Sun (2008-11-14). "Linfox's Avalon Airport plans rejected". Retrieved 2008-11-15.
80. Herald Sun (2009-03-10). "International flights at Avalon in two years: Linfox chief". Retrieved 2009-03-10.
81. ^ "2008 Draft Master Plan" (PDF). Melbourne Airport. 2008-04-28. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
82. Dunn, Mark (2007-12-21). "New runways plan for Melbourne airport". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
83. Murphy, Mathew (2008-06-05). "Plan to fog-proof Melbourne Airport". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
84. "Melbourne Centre". Airservices Australia. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
85. "The New Parallel Runway Project". Brisbane Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
86. "Sydney Airport Aviation Activity Forecasts" (PDF). Sydney Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
87. "Melbourne Airport — Statistics". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
88. ^ "Australian International Airline Activity" (PDF). Aviation Statistics. Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics. 2008. pp. p. 29–30. Retrieved 2008-06-28. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
89. ^ "Australian Domestic Airline Activity" (PDF). Aviation Statistics. Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics. 2009. pp. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-02-18. {{cite web}}: |pages= has extra text (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
90. "Second Airport entry road opens". Melbourne Airport Media Releases. Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
91. "Melbourne Airport — Parking". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
92. ^ "1999 Annual Report" (PDF). Australia Pacific Airports Corporation Limited. Retrieved 2008-07-29. Cite error: The named reference "report1999" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
93. ^ "Airport buses — Metlink — Your guide to public transport in Melbourne and Victoria". www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
94. "Melbourne Airport — Bus Services". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
95. "Airport Direct — Timetable". Airport Direct. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
96. "Gull Bus Services — Timetable". Gull Bus Services. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
97. "Melbourne Airport Rail Link Not Viable Now" (Press release). Minister for Transport. 2002-01-18. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
98. "Why can't this train get us to the airport?". The Age. theage.com.au. 4 June 2006. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
99. "Surge in passenger demand prompts call for Airport rail link". Herald Sun. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
100. Ferguson, John (2008-04-29). "Melbourne airport seeks underground train line". Herald Sun. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
101. "Melbourne Airport — Technical". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
102. ^ "Melbourne Airport — the hub for freight in Australasia". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
103. "Melbourne Airport renames terminals". Melbourne Airport Media Releases. Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
104. "Qantas Club Locations". Qantas. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
105. ^ "Melbourne Airport — Airline Lounges". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
106. "More space promised in Melbourne airport facelift". Herald Sun. News.com.au. 27 August 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
107. "$330m Expansions to Melbourne's International Terminal". Melbourne Airport. 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2007-08-25.
108. "Anderson approves new Melbourne Airport terminal". Media Release. www.minister.infrastructure.gov.au. 15 April 2000. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
109. "Domestic Multi-User Terminal For Melbourne Great For Competition". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
110. "Melbourne Airport to buy Ansett terminal". ABC News Online. www.abc.net.au. 2002-05-03. Retrieved 2008-07-29. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
111. "Virgin Blue and Melbourne Airport Reach Terminal Deal". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2002-07-23. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
112. "The Lounge Pricing". Virgin Blue. Retrieved 2008-07-29.
113. "Rex Lounge". Regional Express. Retrieved 2008-08-15.
114. "Domestic Multi-User Terminal For Melbourne Great For Competition". Melbourne Airport Media Releases. 2002-08-26. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
115. "Melbourne Airport". Airport Technology. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
116. Murphy, Mathew (2007-05-03). "Fares to fall as city sinks its claws into Tiger". The Age. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
117. "Melbourne Airport — Hotels". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
118. "Melbourne Airport — General Facilities". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
119. "Melbourne Airport — Golf Club". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-09-27.
120. "Melbourne Airport — Airline Information". Melbourne Airport. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
121. "Jetstar further expands services for Melbourne". Peanuts! Online. 2008-01-23. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
122. "Freighter services from the United States to Auckland and Melbourne" (PDF) (Press release). Qantas. 2009-02-01. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
123. "Qantas Freight to maintain New Zealand wide body freight capacity" (PDF) (Press release). Qantas. 2009-02-23. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
124. "Direct freighter service from Melbourne to Singapore" (PDF) (Press release). Qantas. 2009-02-01. Retrieved 2009-03-05.
125. http://aviationrecord.com/SearchResults/tabid/37/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/2199/More-flights-between-two-major-cities.aspx
126. "Toll Priority's AirFreight Network" (PDF). Toll Holdings. 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
127. "Jetcraft Brings the Australia to the ATR Family". EADS. 2007-07-31. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
128. "Virgin Blue announces new Bali flights and holiday deals". Virgin Blue. 2009-03-27. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
129. "Virgin Blue announces Fiji flight frenzy". Virgin Blue. 2009-03-19. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
130. "Two week sale as Virgin Blue announces new non-stop Melbourne-Darwin and Perth-Darwin flights". Virgin Blue. 2009-03-12. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
131. "Virgin Blue adds regional Australian destination". Aviation Record. 2008-08-05. Retrieved 2008-08-05.
132. "Two stabbed in attempted hijack over Melbourne". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2003-05-29. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
133. "Qantas hijacker found not guilty". The Age. 2004-07-14. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
134. "South Terminal evacuation". Melbourne Airport Media Releases (Press release). 2005-02-21. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
135. "A report of the response to an emergency at Melbourne Airport" (PDF). Emergency Services Commissioner. 2005-03-24. Retrieved 2008-06-30.
136. "AO-2009-012: Tail strike, Airbus Industrie, A340-541, A6-ERG, Melbourne Airport, Vic, 20 March 2009". Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (Press release). 2009-03-20. Retrieved 2009-04-16.

External links

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

• Transport in Melbourne
• Airports in Victoria (Australia)
• Buildings and structures in Melbourne