Final call for Melbourne Airport’s 56-year-old departures ramp
| Company | Melbourne Airport |
|---|---|
| Date | 05.10.2026 |
After 56 years of hugs, waves and fond farewells, Melbourne Airport’s terminal departures ramp will close to traffic from 9pm tonight.
From 4am tomorrow, all passenger drop offs and pick ups for Qantas, Virgin Australia and international flights will be directed to new, larger zones in the T123 Transport Hub.
The change will pave the way for work to start on an expansion of the international terminal and will help reduce congestion for both drivers and travellers by providing more space and road capacity.
For the first time, pick up passengers will be able to wait undercover with easy access to seating and toilets, while passengers being dropped off will spend less time stuck in traffic jams.
The opening of the $500 million Naarm Way project follows two years of construction and marks the biggest change to Melbourne Airport’s road network since it opened in 1970.
The change means drivers will need to leave the Tullamarine Freeway earlier at Exit 19 (Naarm Way) to access Pick up and Drop off for all airlines.
Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the change would mark a new era for Melbourne Airport.
“This is an exciting change for us, but it’s a big change, and it will take all of us some time to adjust to it,” she said.
“From tomorrow, drivers will need to leave the Tullamarine Freeway at Exit 19 (Naarm Way) to access pick up and drop off for all airlines and all terminals.
“We’ll have plenty of extra support on hand tomorrow and across the coming weeks to help people navigate the new airport layout, but we’d encourage everyone to plan ahead and allow extra time while we get used to it.
“Being dropped off right at the door has been part of Melbourne Airport since the day it opened in July 1970, but to cater for our growing city we now need to do things differently.
“Closing the departures ramp and opening our new Pick up and Drop off zones will enable us to start work expanding the footprint of our international terminal.
“When the departures ramp opened in 1970, we welcomed 155,275 passengers across the year, but now we regularly welcome more than 120,000 travellers each day!
“By 2047 we’re expecting to welcome 75 million passengers each year so it’s imperative that we build the infrastructure now to support that growth.
“As part of this change we’ll be expanding our free Melbourne Airport Assist program to the T123 Transport Hub, with buggy and powered wheelchair assistance available on demand for people requiring mobility assistance from 3am to 1am seven days a week.”
