Melbourne Airport hits record 12 million international passengers in 2026

In the 2026 financial year Melbourne Airport saw almost 37 million total passengers, with international traffic reaching a new high of 12,256,328 people across 57,002 flights. December 2025 was the busiest month on record, handling 3,421,195 travelers. The top non‑Australian origins were China (636,245, +8%), New Zealand (517,943, +1.3%), India (323,308, ‑4.9%), the United Kingdom (201,261, +9.4%) and the United States (142,339, +7.9%). Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the surge underscores the need for a A$4.5 billion expansion of the international terminal, a new third runway and an enhanced road network. New free pick‑up and drop‑off zones at the T123 Transport Hub are slated to open in October, alongside a digital arrivals process to ease border processing. Seat capacity to Middle‑East hubs such as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi is still recovering from pre‑conflict levels.