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Runway 16/34 Maintenance Project
20.11.23

Works on Melbourne Airport’s north-south runway (Runway 16/34) are nearing completion with the final stage involving Airfield Ground Lighting upgrades to take place over the coming months.

Originally scheduled to finish this year, all works requiring night-time runway closures will now be completed by March 2024. This is due to a delay in the government approvals process for part of the works.

This safety-critical maintenance work is required to ensure the runway can support aircraft movements for the next 10-12 years. It has so far replaced 2,500 metres of runway using more than 38,000 tonnes of asphalt, including 20% recycled material produced on site from existing asphalt stocks.

Temporary overnight closures of the north-south runway will remain in place five nights a week from 1:00am through to 6:00am. During these night-time closures all aircraft will use the east-west runway (Runway 09/27).

Between now and March 2024 there will be approximately five closures of the area where the two runways intersect. Called a displaced threshold, the north-south runway will be temporarily shortened and the east-west runway will be closed. These closures will be for 1.5 hours only and will be timed when there are no aircraft operations.

Do you have a question?

For questions about this project, please email [email protected].
 
Any noise complaints or feedback can be directed to Airservices’ Noise Complaints and Information Service (NCIS) at 1800 802 584 or online via this link.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What will change?

    Aircraft landing and taking off during the night maintenance windows will utilise existing flight paths. 

    At times when the north-south runway is closed, all aircraft will use the east-west runway (Runway 09/27).

    There will be no change to the overall number of aircraft using the airport each day. However, between 50 and 70 flights that would normally use the north-south runway at night will instead use the east-west runway. 

    This will be temporary, and only on the nights of the week when the north-south runway is closed for maintenance works. 

    We have worked with airlines and other stakeholders to strategically schedule some heavy aircraft types (e.g. A380) earlier or later than the night closures. This will have the added benefit of minimising impact to nearby communities.

    There will be no changes to flight paths, except for the short period when the displaced threshold is in place, when some departures to the north will operate from the reduced runway length.

  • How will aircraft noise change while the maintenance work is underway?

    While we have made efforts to minimise impacts to the community, some areas to the east and west of the airport will experience additional flight activity during the night-time closures. This is because the east-west runway must be used while the north-south runway is closed.

    Residents in the following communities may experience additional overflight activity during the night-time closures:

    • Hoppers Crossing
    • Maddingley
    • Eastern areas of Melbourne such as Hurstbridge, Bundoora, Greensborough and Doncaster
    • Melton South
    • Inner north Melbourne areas such as Essendon and Preston
    • Mount Macedon
    • Eden Park
  • When will this change occur?

    Work will commence on 3 November 2022, and the project is expected to be fully completed by early 2024.

  • When was this maintenance work last done?

    Maintenance work of this scale on the north-south runway was last done in 2011. However, we are always undertaking routine maintenance, including work over the past several months, which has also involved similar night-time closures for 1-3 nights a week.

  • Will you only undertake works on those five nights a week?

    Our maintenance schedule includes closing the north-south runway for 6.5-8 hours five nights each week. Depending on the schedule, we may need to close the runway on additional nights to complete critical works, however this will be kept to a minimum. 

    There will be no works between Saturday night and Sunday mornings or over the Christmas/New Year break (between 15 December 2023-16 January 2024).

  • What will change?

    Aircraft landing and taking off during the night maintenance windows will utilise existing flight paths. 

    At times when the north-south runway is closed, all aircraft will use the east-west runway (Runway 09/27).

    There will be no change to the overall number of aircraft using the airport each day. However, between 50 and 70 flights that would normally use the north-south runway at night will instead use the east-west runway. 

    This will be temporary, and only on the nights of the week when the north-south runway is closed for maintenance works. 

    We have worked with airlines and other stakeholders to strategically schedule some heavy aircraft types (e.g. A380) earlier or later than the night closures. This will have the added benefit of minimising impact to nearby communities.

    There will be no changes to flight paths, except for the short period when the displaced threshold is in place, when some departures to the north will operate from the reduced runway length.

  • How will aircraft noise change while the maintenance work is underway?

    While we have made efforts to minimise impacts to the community, some areas to the east and west of the airport will experience additional flight activity during the night-time closures. This is because the east-west runway must be used while the north-south runway is closed.

    Residents in the following communities may experience additional overflight activity during the night-time closures:

    • Hoppers Crossing
    • Maddingley
    • Eastern areas of Melbourne such as Hurstbridge, Bundoora, Greensborough and Doncaster
    • Melton South
    • Inner north Melbourne areas such as Essendon and Preston
    • Mount Macedon
    • Eden Park
  • When will this change occur?

    Work will commence on 3 November 2022, and the project is expected to be fully completed by early 2024.

  • When was this maintenance work last done?

    Maintenance work of this scale on the north-south runway was last done in 2011. However, we are always undertaking routine maintenance, including work over the past several months, which has also involved similar night-time closures for 1-3 nights a week.

  • Will you only undertake works on those five nights a week?

    Our maintenance schedule includes closing the north-south runway for 6.5-8 hours five nights each week. Depending on the schedule, we may need to close the runway on additional nights to complete critical works, however this will be kept to a minimum. 

    There will be no works between Saturday night and Sunday mornings or over the Christmas/New Year break (between 15 December 2023-16 January 2024).