Warning for 4.8 million travellers passing through Melbourne Airport this summer

Records are expected to be broken this summer as millions jet off for the holidays but it comes at a bad time for one major airport.

Aussie budget airline Jetstar is about to have its biggest Christmas and summer holiday peak period ever.

Meanwhile, Melbourne Airport is expecting its busiest summer for international travel ever amid major construction works to upgrade its terminal and road infrastructure. People are urged to allow at least an extra 30 minutes to their travel time.

More than 4.8 million passengers are forecast to pass through the airport between December 13 and January 27, including more than 1.8 million international travellers, which would be a new record.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said they were working with Australian Border Force to secure more SmartGate kiosks for international arrivals because the current number is “insufficient to cope with the number of passengers” they anticipate.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia are both expecting their busiest ever summer in Melbourne, while other international carriers have also upped their capacity.

news.com.au has further confirmed Jetstar is expecting its busiest summer period nationally, with three million domestic customers and one million flying overseas in December and January.

The airline will have up to three aircraft on standby to help with any unexpected disruptions, and will have more frontline staff than ever across cabin crew, pilots and airports.

Melbourne Airport is expecting 4.8 million passengers this peak summer period, including 1.8 million international travellers, which would be a new record. Picture: Mark Stewart

Melbourne Airport said while construction work would be scaled back over the Christmas peak, there would still be unavoidable disruptions such as fewer car parks.

Victorian travellers are told to plan ahead and book their car space early.

“Where possible, we would advise passengers travelling to and from the airport to use the Terminal 4 car park drop off and pick up zones to avoid congestion in the main terminal forecourt,” Ms Argus said.

She added: “The forecast record international passenger numbers highlight the need for Melbourne Airport to start building its third runway, which was approved by the Federal Government in September.”

The top five international destinations Aussies are jetting off to from Melbourne are Singapore, Auckland, Bali, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, with the airport noting many travellers will use the Asian hubs for connections to their final destination.

Virgin Australia is expecting a record-breaking summer nationally. Picture: NCA Newswire / Gaye Gerard

Virgin Australia, which is expecting a record-breaking summer nationally, has also urged travellers to allow additional time to clear airport security and check-in bags.

To speed up the process and reduce congestion, the airline recommends customers check-in online and leave their gifts unwrapped, if packed with their carry-on baggage.

Friday, December 20, Sunday, December 22 and Friday, December 27 are expected to be the busiest days to fly on the Virgin Australia network.

The airline’s domestic capacity from December 16 to January 12 is three per cent higher than the same period last year and five per cent higher than pre-Covid.

There will be up to 3000 flights per week – equivalent to nearly half a million seats – in December and January across the domestic and short-haul international network.

The airline has changed its heavy maintenance schedule to free up spare aircraft over the peak period and will take delivery of two former Rex 737-800s to also be used as spare aircraft to help with any unexpected disruptions.

Virgin Australia corporate staff will also appear at airports to help manage things like queues during the busy festive season.

The most popular destinations Aussies are flying to with Virgin are the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Cairns, Hobart, Broome, and Perth. Internationally, the hotspots are Bali, Fiji, and Queenstown.

Sydney Airport had earlier revealed it is expecting its busiest summer period of international since 2019.

The airport has forecasted 5.8 million people will travel through its terminals from December 13 to January 27, including 2.5 million international passengers.

“We strongly encourage passengers to plan ahead and allow ample time for their journey,” Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said.

The busiest day will be on Friday, December 13, with more than 81,000 domestic passengers at the airport, while for international travel, it’s Saturday, January 4, with over 62,000 passengers.