Day visit at Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL)
Melbourne Airport (IATA: MEL, ICAO: YMML), colloquially known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne, and the second busiest airport in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the Melbourne metropolitan area.
The airport comprises four terminals: one international terminal, two domestic terminals and one budget domestic terminal. It is 23 kilometres from the city centre, adjacent to the suburb of Tullamarine. The airport has its own postcode - Melbourne Airport, Victoria (postcode 3045).
In 2016-17 around 25 million domestic passengers and 10 million international passengers used the airport. The Melbourne–Sydney air route is the fifth most-travelled passenger air route in the world. The airport features direct flights to 33 domestic destinations and to destinations in the Pacific, Europe, Asia and North America. Melbourne Airport is the number one arrival/departure point for the airports of four of Australia's seven other capital cities. Melbourne serves as a major hub for Qantas and Virgin Australia, while Jetstar Airways and Tiger Airways Australia utilise the airport as home base. Domestically, Melbourne serves as headquarters for Australian air Express and Toll Priority and handles more domestic freight than any other airport in the nation.