Melbourne Airport is set to get its long-awaited third runway after the project was cleared for construction by the Federal Government last week.

Scheduled to commence construction in 2025 and open in 2031, the project could not come at a better time for Melbourne, according to Accommodation Australia (Victoria) General Manager, Dougal Hollis.

“Melbourne is set to become Australia’s largest city by 2031, with just over 6 million people, and Melbourne Airport’s annual passenger numbers are expected to grow from 36 million currently to 76 million by 2042,” said Hollis.

“On top of that, Melbourne leads Australia’s new hotel development pipeline, with over 7,000 new hotel rooms across 30 new properties set to open by early 2026.

“The ability for Melbourne Airport to welcome more flights, more often will drive more in-bound demand to fill our expanded accommodation inventory and encourage visitor dispersal to Victoria’s regional areas.”

Accommodation Australia National Chair, David Mansfield said the addition of a third runway will improve the experience for visitors arriving into and leaving Victoria.

“The ease of access and egress for travellers is central to their overall satisfaction,” said Mansfield.

“A third parallel runway configuration will enable simultaneous take offs and landings, increasing flight reliability and reducing delays.”

“Increased flight, passenger and freight capacity for Melbourne Airport is also critical, enabling the precinct to evolve in step with Sydney, as the new Western Sydney Airport comes online.

“We must adequately enhance our visitor economy infrastructure to meet future demand and encourage more inbound flights directly into Victoria.”