{"id":190495,"date":"2026-07-27T13:00:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-27T13:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/?p=190495"},"modified":"2026-07-27T20:44:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T20:44:49","slug":"qantas-and-melbourne-airport-agree-on-4-5-billion-expansion-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/07\/qantas-and-melbourne-airport-agree-on-4-5-billion-expansion-plan.html","title":{"rendered":"Qantas and Melbourne Airport Agree on $4.5 Billion Expansion Plan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport<\/strong> have formalized a strategic commercial agreement that will lay the groundwork for a substantial increase in flights, technological upgrades to passenger and baggage processing, and the modernization of international VIP lounges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This commercial alliance will serve as a foundational pillar supporting the airport\u2019s $4.5 billion international terminal expansion program. Projected works notably include five new widebody gates designed to sustain the aviation group\u2019s long-term network growth plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, the agreement establishes a firm 15-year commitment to deliver the airport\u2019s third runway, with its official opening scheduled for 2031.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Transforming Ground Infrastructure and the Passenger Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The project encompasses a comprehensive modernization of passenger flow and airside lounge areas within the terminal:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>New International VIP Lounge:<\/strong> Qantas is currently designing a new facility built on an upper level above Terminal 2, offering panoramic views of the airfield. This lounge will increase its floor space by up to one-third (33%) compared to the existing space to absorb growing demand from premium travelers and frequent flyer members. Construction and fit-out works are slated for completion in 2029.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Passenger and Baggage Processing:<\/strong> Accelerated check-in areas and premium check-in zones will be deployed, complemented by automated bag drops integrated into the recently commissioned state-of-the-art baggage handling system and early bag store facility.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Arrivals Area:<\/strong> Australia\u2019s premier 24-hour gateway will expand its baggage claim hall and increase operational floor space dedicated to Australian Border Force (ABF) inspections.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2192 <a href=\"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/2026\/06\/qantas-reveals-cabin-configuration-for-its-a350-1000ulr-project-sunrise-flights.html\">Qantas Reveals Cabin Configuration for its A350-1000ULR \u201cProject Sunrise\u201d Flights<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis will unlock growth for both Qantas and Melbourne Airport, improving the travel experience for millions of our customers every year. From check-in to our lounge experience and the new fleet, we are investing across our entire business to transform how customers travel to and from Melbourne. Basing some of our new A350-1000LRs in Melbourne will enable a range of new non-stop destinations that aren&#8217;t possible today.\u201d<br><strong>\u2014 Rob Marcolina, Qantas Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe are proud to be Australia\u2019s largest 24-hour gateway and are delighted to partner with Qantas to deliver the most significant upgrade in Melbourne Airport\u2019s history. Our investment in a third runway opening in 2031, alongside Qantas Group&#8217;s 15-year agreement supporting its execution, represents a massive vote of confidence in Melbourne.\u201d<br><strong>\u2014 Lorie Argus, Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer (CEO)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both parties confirmed they will proceed with corporate processes to execute final commercial agreements in the coming months, formalizing the airport infrastructure roadmap for the state of Victoria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"related-topics\">Related Topics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-post-grid uagb-post-grid  uagb-post__image-position-top uagb-post__image-enabled uagb-block-9e302684     uagb-post__items uagb-post__columns-2 is-grid uagb-post__columns-tablet-2 uagb-post__columns-mobile-1 uagb-post__equal-height\" data-total=\"492\" style=\"\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"uagb-post__inner-wrap\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div 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More<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport have formalized a strategic commercial agreement that will lay the groundwork for a&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":4316,"featured_media":190487,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[230,195,233,232],"class_list":{"0":"post-190495","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-airlines","8":"tag-airline","9":"tag-airport","10":"tag-australia-2","11":"tag-qantas-2"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-150x150.webp",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-300x150.webp",300,150,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-768x384.webp",768,384,true],"large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"pk-small":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-80x80.webp",80,80,true],"pk-thumbnail":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-300x225.webp",300,225,true],"csco-small":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-80x80.webp",80,80,true],"csco-intermediate":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-200x140.webp",200,140,true],"csco-thumbnail":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-380x220.webp",380,220,true],"csco-thumbnail-alternative":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-300x180.webp",300,180,true],"csco-thumbnail-uncropped":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-380x190.webp",380,190,true],"csco-medium":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"csco-medium-alternative":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne-560x336.webp",560,336,true],"csco-medium-uncropped":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"csco-large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"csco-large-uncropped":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false],"csco-extra-large":["https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Qantas-y-el-Aeropuerto-de-Melbourne.webp",800,400,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Redacci\u00f3n - Aviaci\u00f3n al D\u00eda","author_link":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/author\/aad"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport have formalized a strategic commercial agreement that will lay the groundwork for a&hellip;","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4316"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=190495"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190495\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":190496,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/190495\/revisions\/190496"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/190487"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=190495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=190495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aviacionaldia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=190495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}