Melbourne Airport makes biggest change in over 50 years - but not everyone’s happy
Melbourne Airport has officially bid farewell to its 56-year-old departures ramp as well as kerbside pick up, with passengers sharing mixed feelings about the changes that came into effect on Tuesday.
All passenger drop-offs and pick-ups for Qantas, Virgin Australia and international flights are now directed to a new dedicated zone in the T123 Transport Hub, which can be accessed via a skybridge.
Melbourne Airport has changed the way passengers are picked up and dropped off. Supplied
Drivers now need to take an earlier exit to reach the new pickup and drop off zones.
Meanwhile, travellers need to change levels and walk a little further than they used to with staff on hand to help passengers find their way. More signage is also coming, the airport confirmed.
The change is intended to ease traffic congestion and make room for a major expansion of the international terminal.
“Much better than the shemozzle that we had to go through before,” passenger Robin Wilson told 9News.
Another driver said: “It’s perfect. Spacious. Shorter, easier, more organised, less traffic.”
But it’s the new lengthy walk some people are not happy with.
After drop-off, departing travellers have a walk of between 172 and 350 metres to terminals, while arriving travellers heading to the pick-up zone have a stroll of between 285 and 380 metres.
“It felt like a while to get here, and now it’s kind of just like a glorified car park,” one passenger Lachlan told 9News.
A new drop off and pick up zone is now open. 9news
Melbourne Airport confirmed for travellers with mobility or accessibility needs there is a free accessibility service with buggies and wheelchairs that can be pre-booked or arranged on the day.
The service will be available from 3am to 1am.
However, disability advocates have expressed concerns about the new process. One traveller shared online it had taken 25 minutes for a buggy to arrive.
“As a family with a wheelchair user, I have to say we’re already arriving at the airport hours in advance of what the average traveller arrives. And anything that makes that trip longer is not really appreciated,” Julie Jones, Editor of Travel Without Limits magazine, told nine.com.au.
Julie Jones regularly travels with her son Braeden. Supplied
While Julie praised the traveller’s aid service that is on offer as “absolutely fantastic” she said it wouldn’t help everyone.
“For people who might have a mobility restriction and not be able to walk a distance, that service is great,” she said. “But if you’re a wheelchair user who needs to stay in their chair what are the options?”
“We travel with so much luggage just because we have to have the set equipment needed, and pushing that plus pushing a manual wheelchair. The distances within an airport already are so great, it’s just adding more strain.”
The new pick up zone aims to ease traffic congestion. Supplied
While most agree the changes will help ease the traffic chaos, Julie hoped any future development at the airport would include a dedicated – and much closer – pick up zone for people with a disability.
“I would have said having a disability access something closer would have made sense,” Julie said.
“I know at Sydney Airport, when we come out of the terminal, we only have to cross one set of lights, and then we wait in the assistance area and the person that we have come can pick up straight away.”
A dedicated disability pick up area would be recommended. Leanne P
To help drivers familiarise themselves with the changes Melbourne Airport shared an online journey planner to help people visualise what the trip will look like.
“As we adjust to the change we’d encourage everyone to plan ahead and allow extra time,” Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said.
Drivers will need to leave the Tullamarine Freeway earlier at Exit 19 (Naarm Way) to access the new direct elevated roadway to pick up and drop off for all airlines.
The changes will help pave the way for a $4.5 billion expansion of the international terminal.
“We’re expecting to welcome 75 million passengers a year by 2047 so it’s imperative that we build the infrastructure now to support that growth,” Lorie said.
