Essendon Airport (MEB)

Essendon Airport is a general aviation and corporate jet airport seven kilometres from Melbourne Airport, next to the Tullamarine Freeway. It has been privately operated since 2001, run by the Linfox-led Edgelear consortium, and was formerly an international airport. Both Hertz and Avis have car rental sites in Airport West. Taxis are regular in the airport’s terminal precinct, and a cab ride to Melbourne’s CBD is only ten kilometres. There is also an unsecured car park outside the passenger terminal.

Essendon became Australia’s second international airport in 1950, and was formerly known as Melbourne Airport. Nowadays the two-runway airport is home to the Victorian Air Ambulance, the Victoria Police Air Wing and the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Other aviation tenants include Sharp Airlines (which flies to Hamilton, Portland and Flinders Island) and Alliance Airlines (which travels to Brisbane, Telfer, Prominent Hill and Orange).

Transport

Public Transport Victoria runs two bus routes that serve Essendon Airport. These are the 478 and 479 buses. The 478 is a Moonee Ponds to Melbourne Airport via Essendon trip, and the 479 travels from Sunbury to Moonee Ponds via Melbourne Airport and Airport West.

The airport hosts the Civil Aviation Historical Society’s Airways Museum, which has no aircraft. Its collection includes artefacts and photos related to things such as air traffic services, communication equipment, beacons and airport lighting.

Climate

Melbourne’s climate is moderate oceanic. Essendon Airport has average high and average low temperatures of 26.3 and 13.4 degrees Celsius in January, and 13.0 and 5.2 in July.