Melbourne Airport’s seven-month night-time Runway 09/27 closure

By Andrew Curran.

Melbourne Airport (MEL) is closing its 2,286 metre east-west runway at night for up to seven months to enable “once-in-a-decade” maintenance work to occur.

The closure took effect from January 21, 2026, and sees single-runway operations happening between 10.00pm and 6.00am. Melbourne is a 24-hour airport with multiple scheduled arrivals and departures happening between late evening and dawn.

The work includes asphalt resurfacing, line marking, grooving, and upgrades to the aeronautical ground lighting systems on the eastern section of the runway. It requires laying 10,000 tonnes of new asphalt on a 27-metre-wide section along the middle of the runway.

The east-west runway, formally Runway 09/27, is the shorter of Melbourne Airport’s two runways. The other, Runway 16/34, better known as the north-south runway, and will handle all late night and early morning arrivals and departures.

Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation, Jim Parashos, said the runway closure ensured it would remain operational for the next decade.

“Closing one of our two runways whilst continuing operations at a 24/7 curfew-free airport is challenging, but overnight closures ensure we retain maximum operational flexibility during the busiest hours of the day,” he said.

Melbourne Airport handles approximately 5,000 aircraft movements each week, and the number is growing as passenger traffic increases.

Melbourne Airport plans to open a third runway sometime in 2031.

Photo: Melbourne Airport.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com