Qantas secures Melbourne Airport deal while boosting US gateway connections

Qantas Group and Melbourne Airport have signed a long‑term commercial agreement that will support the airport’s A$4.5 billion international terminal expansion, add five new wide‑body gates and commit to the construction of a third runway slated for 2031. The deal includes a new, larger International Business Lounge expected to open in 2029, upgraded check‑in and baggage handling facilities, and a plan for Qantas to base some of its Airbus A350‑1000LR long‑range aircraft at Melbourne, enabling new international services.

In parallel, Qantas continues to rely on its North American gateway airports – Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO), New York (JFK), Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) and Honolulu (HNL) – with domestic partners such as American Airlines and Alaska Airlines providing feeder connections across the United States. These hubs feature dedicated Qantas lounges and streamlined baggage handling that feed passengers onto trans‑Pacific flights to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.