Get From A to B with Help From Melbourne Airport's Free Airport Assist

As Australia’s busiest 24/7 gateway to the world, we see roughly 36 million people coming through Melbourne Airport every year. This number includes all kinds of travellers, from families and solo travellers heading off on holiday, to visitors landing in Victoria for the first time and people coming home after months away. For one in 10 of them, getting around the airport itself takes a bit more than just following the signs.

That's exactly why we created Airport Assist, the first of its kind at an Australian airport. This free service is here to take the hassle out of getting from point A to B, so your travel experience is easy from start to finish. At Melbourne Airport, we take care of the in-between so you don’t have to figure it out on your own.

The Melbourne Airport Assist Service gets you between the car parks, terminals, baggage halls, and ground transport hubs across the airport. It runs in partnership with Travellers Aid, a Victorian organisation that has spent years helping people move through busy transport hubs with confidence.

There are two ways the service can help. If you need wheelchair assistance, the team can connect you between the Jetstar, Rex, Virgin Australia, Qantas, and international arrivals and departures areas and the ground transport hubs. If you'd prefer a buggy transfer, the team runs between the Terminal 4 ground transport hub and the Jetstar and Rex arrivals areas, covering the car park, taxi rank, bus services and rideshare like Uber.

You don't need to have a specific diagnosis or label to use it. Airport Assist is there for anyone who needs a hand getting around, including:

• Older travellers who find long distances tiring
• People with mobility needs
• Anyone who finds a large, busy Australian airport physically or cognitively overwhelming

If getting from one part of the airport to another feels like too much to manage, this service is for you. Airport Assist covers the space between the car park, the terminals, and the ground transport zones. For help at the check-in counters, through security, customs, or boarding, your airline takes care of that.

Together with Melbourne Airport’s Experience Ambassadors, our goal is to make your airport experience stress-free, from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave, whatever your accessibility needs.

Melbourne Airport’s free Airport Assist gets you between the car park, the terminals, the baggage halls, and the ground transport hubs. Whether you're heading out for a trip or coming back home, a friendly face is always nearby to take you where you need to go, on foot or by buggy, at no cost.

Flying out of Melbourne? Heading off on a trip is exciting. The last thing you want is to spend your energy on the walk from the car park. Here's how Airport Assist helps you get there:

• From the Car Park to the Terminal – You park in the T4 Car Park and head to the Mobility Hub just outside Hanna’'s Café. The buggy is already there, and so is an Airport Assist team member who knows the airport inside out. Within minutes, you're moving. Past the taxi rank, past the rideshare pick-up zone, through the car park and out toward the terminal. It's a short ride, and that means you arrive at Terminal 4 with energy to spare.
• From the Ground Transport Hub to Check-In – Once you reach the terminal, the team member walks you through to the check-in counters. From there, your airline takes over. Flying with Virgin Australia or Qantas? The service also covers Terminal 3 and Terminal 1. Airport Assist spans all of Melbourne Airport, so whatever airline you're travelling with, there's a hub close to where you need to be.

Flying back in? Trip done? Your Airline and Airport Assist makes sure the last leg of your journey is just as easy as the first. Our team can walk you through every step, including:

• From Baggage Reclaim to the Arrivals Hall – Your flight lands at Terminal 2, but after a long-haul flight, the walk from the aircraft now feels longer than you remember. To make the journey to baggage claim easier, wheelchair assistance can be booked through your airline. They will help you collect your bags and move through to the Arrivals Hall.
• From the Arrivals Hall to Ground Transport – From the Arrivals Hall, you need to get to your ride. The Airport Assist team knows every corner of this airport, and they'll get you to the Pick Up and Drop Off zones without a wrong turn. Your lift pulls up. Bags go in the boot. Done. If you're collecting your own car, the team takes you back through to the car park the same way they brought you in. The team stays with you until you're exactly where you need to be.

Melbourne Airport’s Mobility Hubs are at five locations across the airport. You can walk up to any of them on the day or pre-book Melbourne Airport assistance online.

• Terminal 1, Qantas Arrivals
• Terminal 2, International Arrivals
• Terminal 3, Virgin Australia Arrivals
• Terminal 4, Jetstar Arrivals
• T4 Car Park, just outside Hanna's Café

Need help on the day? Get in touch with the Airport Assist team by calling us on 0492 868 960. The service runs seven days a week from 6 AM to 10 PM, which covers the vast majority of flights in and out of the airport. If you need special assistance outside those hours, you can book After Hours assistance at least 24 hours before you fly or land in Melbourne.

You can, and for most people, pre-booking Airport Assist online makes the day run a lot more smoothly. Giving the team at least 24 hours' notice means we have time to prepare for your arrival, so someone is ready and waiting when you get there. The booking itself only takes a few minutes. Didn’t get a chance to pre-book? No problem at all. Just walk up to any of the five hub locations on the day, and the team will take it from there.

If you'd like to plan ahead, head to Melbourne Airport’s Online Mobility Hub. It's a free resource for passengers with accessibility or disability needs, covering everything from accessible parking options to step-by-step videos that walk you through the airport journey. You'll also find detailed information on accessibility facilities across every terminal, including accessible toilets and rest areas, as well as the services available at each point of your journey.

Not every disability is visible. For travellers managing conditions that others can't see, whether that's autism, anxiety, chronic pain, PTSD, or anything else, airports can feel like a lot. Melbourne Airport's Hidden Disability Program is there to change that, and at its heart is the Sunflower lanyard.

Wearing a Sunflower lanyard signals to our staff and the Airport Assist team that you may need a little more time, patience, or support, without you having to explain yourself. You can pick up a Hidden Disabilities Sunflower lanyard at any of the five Onsite Mobility Hub locations, or from the Visitor Information Desk on the Ground Floor of the Terminal 2 Arrivals Hall from 4 AM to midnight, seven days a week, including public holidays.

There is more support available, all of it free, such as:

• Communication Boards to give non-verbal travellers a simple, visual way to communicate with staff without needing to rely on spoken language
• Sensory Maps covering both arrivals and departures and identifying high-, medium-, and low-sensory areas so you can plan your route around the parts of the airport that work best for you
• Social Stories for international departures and arrivals, walking you through the full process in pictorial format, so nothing comes as a surprise on the day

Both the sensory maps and social stories are free to download before your trip. That way, you can take your time getting familiar with the airport from home and arrive feeling a little more ready for the day ahead.

Knowing help is already there changes how the whole trip feels. At Melbourne Airport, before you've even parked the car or stepped off the plane, the Airport Assist team is ready to take care of the in-between so you can focus on what actually matters, the journey itself.

If you'd like travel tips, airport updates, and more reasons to look forward to your next trip, follow Melbourne Airport on social media or subscribe to our newsletters. We'd love to have you along for the ride.