4 replies to this topic

[Wagyu]

As a few might know already, Sydney is getting a new international airport in Badgerys Creek. As excited as I am to getting the experience of seeing an airport being built near my home, I am also curious about Melbourne's case.

Tullamarine airport is pretty crowded just like the current Sydney airport. What makes it different to Sydney though is that it has room for expansion. Sydney on the other hand has no room at all. Melbourne also happens to have a second airport too, Avalon International Airport.

What intrigues me about this airport is it’s massive plot of land it stands on. Surely this airport was built for a big future. Could this be Melbourne’s Badgerys Creek?

 

Let me know what you think down below...

 

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[Airboss777]

If you're curious about watching Badgery's Creek being built, I hope you're very patient. People have been buying tickets to that show for over 20 years, and it will be at least another 5-10 before it's operational, especially since the private sector turned down the opportunity to own & build it & left the Government holding the baby.

 

Wikipedia will give you all the history but in short, Avalon was never intended as a commercial airport or established out of any perceived need for one in the future.  The previously-used farmland was bought by the Government in the early 1950's to set up the very unimaginatively named Government Aircraft Factory, which licence built Canberra bombers, Sabres, Mirages & the F/A-18's, not to mention the Nomad and Jindivik target drones.

 

Airlines also began using it for maintenance and training purposes when they realised the rent on the Hangars was cheaper than Sydney or Tullamarine. The first attempt at commercial domestic flights in the mid 1990's were a commercial failure and the idea wasn't revisited till low-cost carrier Jetstar came along in 2004. it wasn't that Melbourne's main airport was too busy for Jetstar, it's just that Avalon was cheaper.

 

The "International" title was only added because AirAsiaX saw the same benefit for it's flights from Kuala Lumpur in 2018. It's not like it's a raging global hub.

 

I'm sure over the next few decades things will continue to change & evolve and yes, it will be very exciting to (patiently) watch.

 

Cheers.

[seaplane_silly]

On top of what Airboss777 has said, Wikipedia is your friend when it comes to researching these sort of things. But in reality Tullamarine is already Melbourne's Badgerys Creek having replaced Essendon in the 1970s. 

 

When you compare Sydney's Kingsford Smith Intl and Melbourne's Essendon you'll notice they're both about the same distance from their respective CBDs but unlike Sydney where they were fortunate to be bounded by 3 different waterways and able to extend runways out into Botany Bay, Melbourne was soon surrounded by houses and suburban sprawl hindering expansion to accomodate bigger jets. In fact the search for a new Melbourne airport began in the 1950s and not long after the government acquired the land for Tullamarine which was then considered rural. 

 

Similarly a second Sydney Airport was first proposed by the government in the 1960s and the land acquired for Badgerys Creek during the 1980s and fun fact the proposal for BC was part of the Sydney Olympic Bid - https://www.youtube....h?v=Sp2-WP5I5IA.

[Airboss777]

Tullamarine is already Melbourne's Badgerys Creek having replaced Essendon in the 1970s. 

 

Very good point. The history of these things is quite fascinating.

[zipp]

no we do not ask intellegent questions here