Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport will be expanded, with plans for a third runway and a new rail link to help cope with a sharp rise in passenger numbers.
A draft master plan for the airport’s future was released on Monday 20 May 2013, setting out the vision for the airport’s development over the next 20 years. The airport’s operators said it would be necessary to plan for a rise in traffic to 64 million passengers per year by 2033 – more than double the 29m expected this year.
To manage this, the master plan proposes the development of a new 3km-long runway located 2km to the south of the existing east-west runway. This will be necessary as, according to the airport’s forecasts, the existing two-runway system will reach capacity by the end of the decade.
In an effort to reduce congestion around the airport, the draft plan proposes the creation of an airport rail link connecting to the city, plus a new elevated loop road to be constructed around the main terminal buildings. While the rail link may take some time to develop, the first stage of the road is expected to begin in 2015.
“The draft master plan highlights the economic and social importance of Melbourne airport and how its future growth will continue to drive the Victorian economy, including more than doubling spending by interstate and international visitors from AU$8.5 billion to AU$18 billion (US$8.3-17.5bn) by 2033; growing the number of jobs directly related to airport operations from more than 14,000 now to 23,000; and more than doubling the airport’s contribution to gross state product from AU$1.47 billion to AU$3.2 billion over the next couple of decades,” Melbourne Airport’s CEO, Chris Woodruff, said in a statement.
The expansion plan is expected to cost approximately AU$10 billion, and will be the most significant expansion at the facility since it opened in 1970.
The draft plan will now be submitted to the Commonwealth Minister for Infrastructure & Transport for approval following a 60-day public consultation process.
