Melbourne Airport cuts long-term parking costs in bid to boost passenger numbers

The big change Melbourne Airport is making in a bid to get Victorians back in the sky.

CEO of Melbourne Airport Lyell Strambi. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Melbourne Airport has cut some of its carparking rates by more than half in a desperate bid to entice people to travel.

The cost of a 24-hour stay in the long-term carpark has plummeted from $25 to $12.

A number of other short stay rates have also dropped and new parking incentives introduced, as the airport seeks to lure passengers back on to planes.

It comes as figures shows flights to and from Melbourne doubled last month compared to October, following the reopening of borders with New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.

Domestic daily passenger numbers skyrocketed from about 1000 to 10,000 a day, with more people passing through the airport in November than in the previous three months combined.

And they are on track to continue climbing over Christmas.

Melbourne Aiport is cutting long-term parking prices to encourage Victorians to get back in the air. Picture: Ian Currie

“Australians have displayed strong confidence in air travel,” Melbourne Airport chief Lyell Strambi said.

“November volumes were ahead of our expectations and it’s a great relief to be up and running again ahead of our busy holiday period . . . one of the most pleasing things is to see many people from across our airport community return to work. From security staff to retail, our cafes and transport operators, there is a real sense of joy and hope that the worst of COVID is behind us.”

But Mr Strambi warned it was still a far cry from business-as-usual at the airport.

Figures obtained by the Herald Sun show that, while up on previous months, domestic passenger numbers for November 2020 were down 95.5 per cent on November 2019, and international passengers down 98.8 per cent, with 3,178,599 fewer passengers in total transiting through the airport.

It was hoped the lower prices for short stays in the long-term carpark – renamed the ‘Value’ carpark – would encourage interstate holiday season travel, Melbourne Airport said. The cost of a full week carpark stay had also been reduced, from $99 to $84, a spokesman said.

Other incentives included the introduction of 15-minute free terminal parking and a simplified, tiered parking system, which reduced the number of options available to travellers from 14 to three; Premium, Terminal and Value.

Public transport fees have been frozen for 2021. Picture: Jason Edwards

NO PRICE HIKE FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT FARES

Public transport fares have been frozen for 2021, saving regular travellers $1 a week.

The state government had increased myki prices by 1.7 per cent this year, adding 20c to daily metropolitan fares.

But the cost of all train, tram and bus trips will remain the same next year to provide some cost-of-living relief as the state recovers from the coronavirus crisis.

“We know 2020 has been really challenging for a lot of Victorians, so we’re freezing public transport fares for next year to ease the pressure on families wherever we can,” Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said.

It comes as free travel will also be provided from 3am on Christmas Day to 3am on Boxing Day, and between 6pm on New Year’s Eve and 6am on New Year’s Day.

Commuters with a myki do not need to touch on or off, and while V/Line passengers will need to book their travel on ­reserved services, they will be issued with free tickets.

On New Year’s Eve, a normal weekday timetable will be in place from 6pm to midnight, ensuring extra services are available to reduce crowding.

Metropolitan trains will run every 15 minutes between 12am and 1am, every half an hour between 1am and 2am, and every hour after that.

Most tram services will run all night, with at least three services an hour between midnight and 2am, and one every hour after that.

Face masks will have to be worn on trains, trams and buses.

“This year’s festive season is set to be very different, but we’re making public transport free to ensure all Victorians can catch up and celebrate with their loved ones,” Mr Carroll said.