What to Expect With the Upcoming New Pick Up and Drop Off Zones at Melbourne Airport

Picking someone up or dropping a mate off at Melbourne Airport? Starting 6 October, you’ll be doing it from the new Pick Up and Drop Off zones instead of at the curb. Think of it as a proper space built just for those quick hellos and see-you-soons, rather than everyone squeezing into the same few lanes at once.

That new spot is the T123 Transport Hub. It’s part of Melbourne Airport’s Naarm Way project, which brings a direct run from the Tullamarine Freeway right into the terminals. Driving in, parking and flying out instead? Relax, none of this changes how you park one bit.

The T123 Transport Hub is Melbourne Airport’s new home for Pick Up and Drop Off, built for anyone flying out of Terminal 1, Terminal 2 or Terminal 3. It’s the next stage of our Naarm Way project, and it’s where you’ll go to collect or drop off a passenger come October 2026.

The numbers in the name are the giveaway. It covers three terminals in one spot:

• Terminal 1 for Qantas domestic flights
• Terminal 2, the international terminal, for overseas departures and arrivals
• Terminal 3 for Virgin Australia domestic flights

That means if you’re seeing someone off on a Qantas trip interstate, picking up family landing from overseas or dropping a mate at Terminal 3 for a Virgin Australia flight, the T123 Transport Hub is where you’re headed.

The new Melbourne Airport Pick Up and Drop Off means a more direct drive in and a space with more room to collect or drop off passengers. You’ll come off the Tullamarine Freeway at a dedicated exit that leads straight to the T123 Transport Hub, and then pull into a purpose-built zone instead of the old shared forecourt and departures ramp.

Here’s what that means for your next airport run:

• You’ll get a straighter run in. Exit 19 off the Tullamarine Freeway takes you directly to the T123 Transport Hub, so you’re not driving all the way down to Terminal Drive to get there.
• You’ll drop off with less jostling. The Drop Off area on Level 3 has 3 lanes and 6 rows of parking, so more cars pull in at once instead of everyone queuing up in a single row.
• You’ll have room to collect someone without circling. The Pick Up zone sits at the rear of Level 2, with over 115 spaces available (triple the amount of the old pick up area).
• You’ll have a dedicated space to pick up someone. Private cars head to the rear of Level 2 for Pick Up, while the old forecourt becomes the spot for commercial vehicles like Skybus, taxis and rideshare.
• You’ll get out just as easily. Once you've dropped off, the ramps lead onto Departure Drive and back towards the Tullamarine Freeway, so leaving is as direct as arriving.

A 19-metre-wide pedestrian bridge links the T123 Transport Hub straight across to Terminal 2. That means the passenger you’ve dropped off walks a covered route straight into the terminal, and anyone you’re collecting has a sheltered walk back out to meet you.

Picking up or dropping off someone flying with Jetstar, Rex or Link Airways from Terminal 4? None of this changes your run. Terminal 4 keeps its own separate setup at the T4 Transport Hub, so the Pick Up and Drop Off carries on exactly as it does today.

Added extra: In fact, the new T123 Transport Hub will operate exactly as the T4 Transport Hub does today, just on a much larger scale.

The new Pick Up and Drop Off zones at Melbourne Airport will open on 6 October. When they do, you’ll see friendly staff to help you find your way in those first weeks. New routes take a little getting used to, and there’ll be someone there to make the first trip an easy one.

No. Getting to the T123 Car Park works exactly as it does now, in via Centre Road and Terminal Drive. The new Pick Up and Drop Off areas have their own separate entry off the freeway, so they run separate from the parking and don’t change your way in or where you leave the car.

Your parking option stays exactly where it is, too. The T123 Terminal Car Park sits across the rear of the building, while the T123 Premium Car Park, Melbourne Airport Valet and Qantas Valet are all on Level 1 at the front. Take a look at our airport maps and use our journey planner tool to sort your drive in before you set off.

If the person you’re dropping off or collecting needs a hand, Melbourne Airport Assist is there to help. Run in partnership with Travellers Aid, it’s our free accessibility assistance service that runs from 6 AM to 10 PM, seven days a week. Once the T123 Transport Hub opens on 6 October, that moves to 22 hours a day from 3am to 1am.

The team gets you between the car parks, the terminals, the baggage halls and the Pick Up and Drop Off zones. There are three ways to get assistance:

• Book ahead. You can arrange Melbourne Airport Assist in advance, with at least 24 hours’ notice so the team can have someone ready for you.
• Call on the day. If your plans come together last minute, you can phone the team on 0492 868 960 when you arrive, and they’ll sort help from there.
• Find a mobility hub. There are five mobility hubs around the airport where you can ask for assistance in person. That will increase to eight mobility hub locations once the T123 Transport Hub opens.

When the new Pick Up and Drop Off at Melbourne Airport opens, the easiest way to familiarise yourself with your new route is to look at the journey planner tool.

Keep an eye out for Exit 19 or All Terminals signage as you come off the Tullamarine Freeway, and it’ll point you straight to where you need to be.

Running ahead of your passenger’s flight? Head for the free Wait Zone on Mercer Drive and wait there until they’ve landed, rather than stopping anywhere along the freeway to kill time. The first 60 minutes of parking here are free.

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