# Melbourne Airport (MEL)

> Melbourne, AU · IATA: MEL · ICAO: YMML · Large Airport · Cargo Hub

## Quick Facts

| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| IATA | `MEL` |
| ICAO | `YMML` |
| City | Melbourne |
| Country | AU |
| Type | Large Airport |
| Elevation | 132 m |
| Cargo | ✅ |
| GPS | -37.66155, 144.83643 |

## Description

Qantas Freight, Menzies, Dnata, Swissport and DHL all run handling operations at Melbourne Airport (IATA: MEL, ICAO: YMML), the Tullamarine field that ranks as Australia's largest air-freight gateway. The site moves around 350,000 tonnes of cargo a year, close to 30 percent of the national market, and in the first quarter of 2024 alone handled 44,700 tonnes of local exports — over 40 percent of the country's air-freight export volume. Some 27 international carriers serve Melbourne; dedicated freighter operators include Qantas Freight, DHL Express, Tasman Cargo, Qatar Airways Cargo, Cathay Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo, though most tonnage still travels as belly cargo on passenger aircraft. Unlike Sydney, Tullamarine operates without a night curfew, allowing shipments to move around the clock. Perishables — seafood, dairy and fresh produce — dominate the outbound trade toward Asia and the Middle East, and an Australia Post gateway on site adds e-commerce parcel capacity. Road access via the Western Ring Road links the cargo precinct directly to Victoria's motorway network and the Port of Melbourne, while Australian Border Force and biosecurity officers clear consignments on site. The decisive project ahead is the approved third runway: 3,000 metres long, parallel and 1.3 kilometres west of the existing north–south strip, with major earthworks from 2025 and operations expected around 2031 — exporters expect a substantial lift in freight capacity. Sydney (SYD) and Brisbane (BNE) are the usual alternatives.

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*Freight Academy — Airport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/melbourne-airport-mel](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/airports/melbourne-airport-mel)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/melbourne-airport-mel](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/airports/en/melbourne-airport-mel)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/airports/melbourne-airport-mel/llm-summary*