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Melbourne Airport has marked its busiest-ever month for international arrivals.
January saw 688,534 international arrivals come through Melbourne, around half of the 1,261,361 total international travellers, alongside 2,115,518 domestic passengers; this makes for Melbourne’s third busiest month for overall passenger numbers on record, behind December and January 2025.
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The airport also saw its busiest-ever single day for international travel on 9 January, at 45,106 passengers in total.
“Across January, Melbourne Airport welcomed more than 59,000 Chinese passport holders, 57,000 New Zealand passport holders, 29,000 Indian passport holders, 23,000 United Kingdom passport holders and 18,000 passport holders from the United States,” the airport said in a statement.
“A further 29,000 United Kingdom passport holders flew out of Melbourne, following Australia’s victory in the Ashes series.”
According to Melbourne Airport chief executive Lorie Argus, the figures “highlighted the value of Melbourne’s major events” in attracting international visitors.
“Melbourne Airport supports one in every 16 Victorian jobs, and each average daily international flight is worth $190 million a year to the state economy,” she said.
“We’re proud to be Australia’s largest 24-hour airport, and we’re investing in significant new infrastructure, including a third runway, to cater for growing demand for international travel and the benefits that brings to Victoria.
“Our new $500 million international baggage system is in its final stages of commissioning, and when it opens it will more than double the capacity of our existing outbound system, while also paving the way for passenger experience enhancements such as anytime check-in.”
Melbourne last year signalled discussions regarding an expanded international satellite with up to five new wide-body gates, as well as more room for shops, passenger waiting areas and airline lounges.
“Later in the year we will open new and expanded Pick Up and Drop Off zones for passengers using Terminals 1, 2 and 3, which will allow us to start upgrading the international terminal by expanding its footprint into the current arrivals forecourt,” Argus said.
“Major construction work for this project is currently underway, and we’d encourage anyone heading to the airport in February or March to plan ahead, allow an extra half an hour and use the Terminal 4 Pick Up and Drop Off zones where possible.”
Melbourne’s 3,000-metre third runway, planned to open in 2031, will be built parallel to the existing north-south runway and 1.3 kilometres to the west. Its opening will allow for simultaneous take-offs and landings, which the airport said will increase capacity and reduce delays.
