Melbourne Airport supports an above-ground station for the proposed airport rail line to ensure the public transport link is in place for the millions of additional passengers that will use the gateway when the third runway is opened.

Melbourne Airport would welcome the immediate recommencement of discussions with government over the airport station with an initial focus on its design, the sequencing of construction works and redress for the land required for the above ground option.

The airport currently welcomes around 100,000 passengers a day and is the largest employment hub outside of the Melbourne CBD. More than 210,000 passengers will use the airport every day in less than 20 years and the expanded airport is forecast to add $5.9 billion to the state economy every year and support 51,000 jobs.

Melbourne Airport will spend about $3 billion building an additional north-south runway to accommodate more than 76 million passengers by 2042. It will take more than four years to construct the third runway and employ more than 500 people during construction.

The development plan for the third runway is currently before the Federal Government for approval.