Melbourne Airport’s third runway is a major infrastructure project set to transform Victoria’s aviation landscape and deliver substantial economic benefits. 

With the number of passengers travelling through Melbourne Airport forecast to grow from 36 million (FY25) to around 76 million by 2042, the new north-south runway will provide more capacity for passengers and exporters, support competition, reduce delays and enable economic growth in Victoria and Australia. 

It will support parallel runway operations that will mean more arrivals and departures at the same time, less time on the ground waiting to take off and less time in the air waiting to land.  

As part of the approval conditions for the third runway project, Melbourne Airport is required to undertake several initiatives, including:

• Noise Amelioration Plan and Program: Melbourne Airport’s Noise Amelioration Plan will help reduce the impact of aircraft noise from the new runway on eligible homes and community facilities in Brimbank and Hume through measures such as improved insulation and double glazing.
• Noise Sharing Plan: The Noise Sharing Plan will guide how aircraft noise will be shared across communities surrounding Melbourne Airport, to avoid placing a disproportionate burden on any single community.
• Community Health Study: A comprehensive community health study will assess potential health impacts associated with the third runway before operations and for 20 years after operations begin.

For further information on the new runway, including videos, fact sheets, planning documents and our noise and flight path tool, visit the dedicated Melbourne Airport third runway page on our Major Projects Hub.

If you would like any more information about the third runway, please contact us via email on [email protected]