[a] Melbourne serves as a major hub for Qantas and Virgin Australia, while Jetstar utilises the airport as home base.

The search for a replacement for Essendon commenced in February 1958, when a panel was appointed to assess Melbourne's civil aviation needs.

[11] Considerations such as superior proximity to Melbourne and lower development costs narrowed the choice to either Tullamarine or Laverton, with Laverton eventually eliminated in part due to issues coordinating both military and civil activities that could not guarantee the degree of safety demanded, and that traffic coordination would be easier with the shorter distance between Essendon and Tullamarine.

[21][22] On opening, Melbourne Airport consisted of three connected terminals: International in the centre, with Ansett to the South and Trans Australia Airlines to the North.

Information on the first two categories was provided by Ian Hunter, Wurundjeri researcher, and Ray Gibb, local historian.

During the 1920s, the farm had been used as a landing site for aircraft, which were parked at night during World War II in case Essendon Aerodrome was bombed.

Diamond shaped and measuring 80 m (260 ft) on each side, the additional 10 aerobridges provided by the expansion doubled the international passenger handing capacity at Melbourne Airport.

[30] Since privatization, further improvements to infrastructure have begun at the airport, including expansion of runways, car parks and terminals.

The multi-storey carpark outside the terminal was completed between 1995 and August 1997 at a cost of $49 million, providing 3,100 parking spaces, the majority undercover.

Work commenced on the six-story 276-room Hilton Hotel (now Parkroyal) above the carpark in January 1999, which was completed in mid-2000 at a cost of $55 million.

[34] The improvements also included the construction of dual airbridges (Gates 9 and 11) with the ability to board both decks simultaneously to reduce turnaround times, the extension of the international terminal building by 20 m (66 ft) to include new penthouse airline lounges, and the construction of an additional baggage carousel in the arrivals hall.

[47][48] The international terminal contains works by noted Australian Indigenous artists including Daisy Jugadai Napaltjarri and Gloria Petyarre.

The objectives of this project included new lounges and retail facilities, a new satellite terminal, increased luggage capacity and a redesign of customs and security areas.

[50] A new satellite terminal was also constructed as part of the project, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows which offer views of the North-South runway.

[56] Lower landing and airport handling fees are charged to airlines due to the basic facilities, lack of jet bridges, and fewer amenities and retail outlets compared to a conventional terminal.

The terminal was rebuilt by Tiger Airways Australia, which had used it as its main hub since it operated its first domestic flight on 23 November 2007.

[57] Jetstar confirmed its involvement in discussions with Melbourne Airport regarding the expansion of terminal facilities to accommodate for the growth of domestic low-cost services.

[22] In March 2012, airport officials would break ground that October and they expected completion in July 2014, however, they pushed that date to late August 2015.

[62] Due to increasing air traffic and limited capacity, proposals for third runway at Melbourne Airport have been under consideration since the 1990s, appearing in successive long-term master-plan documents.

[64] However, following a consultation period in 2019, Melbourne Airport dropped these plans in favor of constructing a new parallel north-south runway to the west, citing concerns about aircraft noise in suburbs under the flight path including Gladstone Park, Westmeadows, Attwood, and Jacana, as well as wind direction considerations.

[67] The project will be wholly funded by the airport, costing $3 billion, and involve construction of a second parallel north-south runway.

The new runway is intended to increase capacity and support future growth as Melbourne's population continues to grow.

However, the project has faced opposition from nearby residents, local councils and community groups, including the City of Brimbank, over concerns about noise in affected suburbs of Bulla, Keilor, Kealba, St Albans and Sunshine North as well as environmental impacts.

These flights, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, depart Melbourne from Terminal 1, and provide a guided aerial tour of Antarctica before returning to Australia.

The link starts at the M80 Ring Road and provides direct access to Melrose Drive 1.5 kilometres from the terminal area.

[146] The main multi-level carpark in front of the terminal was built in the late 1990s, replacing the pre-existing ground-level car parking,[31] progressively expanded ever since.

[147] The SkyBus operates express bus services from the airport to Southern Cross railway station (on the western boundary of the Melbourne central business district)[148] and St Kilda.

[149] Shuttle services also operate between the airport and the Mornington Peninsula,[150] making stops in St Kilda, Elsternwick, Brighton and Frankston.

[158] The 27 km link will run via Sunshine station in Melbourne's west into the central city via the under-construction Metro Tunnel.

The business case was released in 2022 and was revealed that the Airport station would be elevated at a height of around 6 storeys, minimising construction costs and time.