Melbourne Airport's New Pick-Up and Drop-Off Zones: What Changed on 6 October 2026

If you have done the Tullamarine run the same way for years, the route changed this week. Melbourne Airport's new pick-up zone and drop-off zone for Terminals 1, 2 and 3 opened on Tuesday 6 October 2026 inside the new T123 Transport Hub, and the old Departure Drive drop-off outside the terminals is now closed.

Below is what moved, where each type of vehicle now goes, the time limits that catch people out, and what the change means if a chauffeur is collecting you.

Pick-up and drop-off for Terminals 1, 2 and 3 moved from the terminal forecourt into the new T123 Transport Hub, reached by a dedicated exit off the Tullamarine Freeway. Drop-off is now on Level 3, pick-up is at the rear of Level 2, and both zones are free.

The new roads opened at 4am on 6 October, part of a $500 million road network built to ease the congestion that built up on the old departures ramp. The change covers Terminal 1 (Qantas domestic), Terminal 2 (International) and Terminal 3 (Virgin Australia). The old Departure Drive drop-off has closed to make way for the expansion of the T2 international terminal, and the old forecourt pick-up area has been reduced to SkyBus, coaches, buses, taxis and rideshare.

The new pick-up zone is at the rear of Level 2 of the T123 Transport Hub, about 285 metres from the terminals. It is free, undercover, and every vehicle has a five-minute standing limit. There are 115 pick-up spaces, nearly triple the old forecourt's capacity, and arriving passengers follow signage through the terminals and the hub to reach them. Melbourne Airport asks drivers to make sure their passenger is waiting and ready before entering the pick-up zone, because the five minutes are enforced to keep traffic moving.

If the flight is late or you arrive early, there are two options. The free Wait Zone on Mercer Drive is free for the first 60 minutes and about five minutes' drive from the pick-up zone, though it is not within walking distance of the terminals. Or you can enter the terminal car park, where the first 15 minutes are free and the first hour costs $17.

Drop-off for Terminals 1, 2 and 3 is on Level 3 of the T123 Transport Hub, roughly 170 metres from the terminals. It is free with a one-minute limit, and taxis, Uber and other rideshare vehicles drop off here too.

The drop-off zone has six lanes and 74 spaces, nearly double the old capacity. Passengers then walk into the terminals across a new pedestrian bridge, 19 metres wide. With checked bags and children in tow it is worth building a few extra minutes into your departure plan; our guide to what time to leave for Melbourne Airport sets out check-in cut-offs and journey times from across Melbourne. For longer goodbyes, the airport suggests dropping passengers and luggage in the free zone and then heading to a car park.

Leave the Tullamarine Freeway at Exit 19 Naarm Way and follow the signs to T123 Pick Up or T123 Drop Off. The old approach via Terminal Drive and Departure Drive no longer takes you to pick-up or drop-off. The new zones have their own entry, separate from the car parks, and car park access via Centre Road and Terminal Drive is unchanged. Drivers coming from Sunbury Road can reach the hub via Centre Road and the Naarm Way ramp.

One rule matters for minibuses and some people movers: vehicles must be under 2.2 metres high to use the T123 zones. Taller vehicles take Exit 20 along Terminal Drive, turn right onto Centre Road and use a separate ground-level pick-up and drop-off bay at the back of the hub.

No. Jetstar and Rex passengers at Terminal 4 still use the T4 Transport Hub, with pick-up on Level 1 and drop-off on Level 2, and it is also reached via Exit 19 Naarm Way.

The airport offers a handy tip for Virgin Australia passengers: it can be easier to use the T4 Transport Hub for pick-up and drop-off, because Terminal 3 sits right next door. Vehicles up to 2.5 metres high can use the T4 hub.

Taxis, Uber and other rideshare services still collect passengers from the ground-level forecourt outside Terminals 1, 2 and 3, alongside SkyBus, coaches and buses. They drop off at the new Level 3 zone, the same as private cars. In other words, the Level 2 pick-up zone is for private cars. If you are waiting for an Uber after landing at Terminals 1, 2 or 3, head to the forecourt, not the transport hub.

Melbourne Airport runs a free Melbourne Airport Assist service with Travellers Aid, seven days a week from 3am to 1am, to help passengers move between the terminals, car parks and the new zones. Along the walk there are rest stops every 60 metres, plus buggies and powered wheelchairs.

You can book Melbourne Airport Assist at least 24 hours ahead, call 0492 868 960 on the day, or approach staff at one of the airport's five mobility hubs. In the first weeks, look for staff in pink jackets or high-vis vests if you are unsure where to go.

Very little changes for you, because a pre-booked chauffeur meets you inside the terminal rather than at a pick-up bay. Melbourne Airport allows pre-arranged chauffeurs to meet passengers at designated meeting points in the terminals, so there is no five-minute clock and no 285-metre walk to find the car on your own.

When you book a Melbourne airport transfer with Signature Chauffeured Cars, we track your flight in real time, so an early landing or a delay changes nothing on your side. Your chauffeur waits in the arrivals area with a name board, takes the luggage and walks you to the car. Up to 60 minutes of complimentary wait time is included on airport pickups, with no extra charge when a flight runs late, and the price you are quoted includes tolls, taxes and GST.

Hire car services at Melbourne Airport must be pre-booked; drivers are not permitted to approach passengers in the terminal. If someone offers you a ride you did not book, decline it.

For a domestic arrival with one bag and a friend who is happy to drive, the free Level 2 zone is a genuine improvement and costs nothing. A chauffeur earns its place when the trip involves checked luggage, an international arrival, children, a client or a late-night flight.

Early reports suggest the new hub works: on the first morning, passengers and drivers told the ABC the zones felt roomier and less hectic than the old forecourt. The trade-off is distance and timing. Someone still has to make the drive, wait out a delay, collect you inside the five-minute window and walk 285 metres back with your bags. For visiting executives and client delegations, that is usually the moment a corporate chauffeur pays for itself.