MEBmedium airport

Melbourne Essendon Airport

Essendon Fields, Australia

Explore Essendon Fields city guide Navigate to this airport

Routes out

Destinations

ICAO

YMEN

Elevation

282 ft

The gateway in a glance

The Essence of Melbourne Essendon Airport

MEB

Location

Essendon Fields · VIC · Australia

Connectivity

1 routes · 1 destinations

Position

-37.728°, 144.902° · 282 ft elev.

Visa & Entry

Electronic Travel Authority (601), eVisitor (651)Official

AI Travel Editor

A closer look

Living guide content for Melbourne Essendon Airport — read or listen in 46+ languages.

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TravelerPulse profile

Historic Melbourne airport serving general aviation and charter flights.

Opened

1921

Location

Essendon Fields, Australia

Melbourne Essendon Airport, located at Essendon Fields in Melbourne's northern suburbs, is one of Australia's oldest and most historically significant airports. It served as Melbourne's primary international gateway before Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine opened in 1970, and today operates primarily as a general aviation, charter, and freight hub. The airport is owned and operated by Essendon Fields Pty Ltd and has been redeveloped into a mixed-use precinct incorporating aviation, commercial, retail, and business facilities. It handles a significant volume of general aviation traffic, corporate jets, air ambulance operations, and aerial work. Despite no longer serving major commercial airlines, Essendon Airport remains an important part of Melbourne's aviation infrastructure, particularly for private and business aviation. The surrounding Essendon Fields precinct has grown into a notable commercial and hospitality destination.

Terminals

The airport has facilities primarily oriented toward general aviation, charter, and corporate operations rather than traditional commercial passenger terminals.

Getting to & from

The airport is accessible by road via the Tullamarine Freeway and surrounding arterial roads, with taxi and rideshare services available.

Airlines here

No major commercial airlines operate scheduled services; the airport primarily serves charter operators, air ambulance services, and corporate aviation.

Notable facts

›Essendon was Melbourne's main international airport until Tullamarine opened in 1970.
›The airport was used extensively during World War II as a military base.
›It is one of the oldest continuously operating airports in Australia.
›The surrounding Essendon Fields precinct includes hotels, a DFO shopping outlet, and office parks.
›The airport handles a significant portion of Victoria's air ambulance and aeromedical operations.

Official website Wikipedia

This profile is provided for general information only. Details may be inaccurate or outdated — always verify with the airport's official website before acting on them.

Route map (1 destinations)

Leaflet © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Airlines serving this airport

Routes

MEB → FLSSH · SWM

Aircraft operating here

SWM1 routes

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Encyclopaedia

Essendon Fields Airport is a 305 ha public airport located in the north western suburb of Essendon Fields, approximately 11 kilometres northwest of Melbourne's central business district. The airport occupies approximately 305 hectares and is Melbourne's second largest airport and the closest to the city's centre. From its earliest use in 1921 until 1970 it served as Melbourne's primary international airport, but was replaced by Tullamarine Airport.

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