The Federal Government has granted final approval for Melbourne Airport’s major development plan to construct a new domestic terminal facility in the Southern Precinct of the airport.

The approval comes after new research reveals that the number of passengers passing through Melbourne Airport each year is expected to more than double from the current 29 million to 64 million by 2033.

The new domestic terminal, according to Federal Minister for Infrastructure Anthony Albanese, will help meet that exponential growth in demand.

Mr Albanese said that the new Southern Precinct is expected to be operational by mid-2015, and will include:

  • a new domestic terminal with capacity of up to 10 million passengers per annum for use by domestic airlines;
  • additional aircraft parking aprons;
  • associated taxi-lanes and new taxiways;
  • new car parking in close proximity to the new terminal, which will also provide vehicle pick-up and drop-off, car rental and other ground transport services;
  • the reconfiguration of the existing road network to provide access to the proposed terminal facility.

 

“At more than 2,300 hectares, the Melbourne Airport site is twice the size of Sydney Airport. There is considerable scope for aeronautical development and this new terminal will help Melbourne keep pace with aviation growth and keep Australians connected with each other and the rest of the world,” Mr Albanese said.

The Airport has 50 business days to make the major development plan public.