Under the provisions of the Airport’s Act 1996 and the Airport’s (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996, Melbourne Airport’s airspace has been declared as Prescribed Airspace. This also includes the airspace surrounding the future four-runway layout. This means that it must be protected from physical and non-physical intrusions for the safe arrival and departure of aircraft. 

Melbourne Airport is preparing updated prescribed airspace to ensure protection for the future four-runway system, accounting for changes to criteria since the original designation. 

The future four-runway layout allows for a fourth runway in an east-west orientation. This proposed fourth runway (approximately 3,000 metres long), designated 09R/27L, would be south of the existing east–west runway. 

Prescribed Airspace is the airspace above any part of either an Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS) or a Procedures for Air Navigation Services – Aircraft Operations (PANS-OPS) surface.

This surface is usually the lowest of the two surfaces that make up Prescribed Airspace, and is designed to provide protection for visual flying, or VFR (when the pilot is flying by sight). 

Australian Pacific Airports Melbourne (APAM) design, manage and maintain the OLS for Melbourne Airport. 

This surface is usually higher than the OLS and is designed to provide protection for instrument flying, or IFR (when the pilot is flying by instruments). The PANS-OPS may also protect airspace around the network of navigational aids that are critical for instrument flying. 

Airservices Australia design, manage and maintain the PANS-OPS surface for Melbourne Airport. 

Under section 182 of the Airports Act 1996, activities that result in intrusions into an airport's Prescribed Airspace are called “controlled activities”. Controlled activities including the following cannot be carried out without approval. 

• constructing permanent structures, such as buildings, intruding into the protected airspace. 
• temporary structures such as cranes intruding into the protected airspace. 
• activities causing non-structural intrusions into the protected airspace such as air turbulence from stacks or vents, smoke, dust, steam or other gases or particulate matter. 

Persons wishing to undertake activities that will result in an intrusion of protected airspace are required to apply to the relevant airport-operator company The Regulations differentiate between short-term (less than 3 months) and long-term controlled activities.  

The Regulations provide for the airport operator to approve short-term controlled activities, excluding PANS-OPS intrusions, and for the Department to approve long-term controlled activities, or short-term controlled activities referred to it by the airport operator, including short-term intrusions of the PANS-OPS surface. If the proposed activity is long term, (more than 3 months), then the airport-operator company coordinates assessments of the proposal and forwards these and the application to the department for final assessment and approval.  

It should be noted that long term intrusions of the PANS-OPS surface are prohibited.  

Local councils in the vicinity of an airport's protected airspace are required under the Airports Act 1996 and the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996 to review all building and development applications they receive for any intrusions of protected airspace. If an infringement is likely to occur, Part 4 subregulation 8 provides that the local council must refer the application to the airport operator. 

Additional information on controlled activities can be found on the Department of Infrastructure website. 

Please use this form to submit a proposed activity for assessment by Melbourne Airport. To ensure that a timely assessment can be conducted, please make sure that your submission is accurate and complete. 

Once completed, please submit your application to [email protected]. 

Crane operations on airport, or off-airport within visual monitoring range require a crane permit. Applications to carry out crane operations should be made in writing to the airport at least 28 days before the proposed activity. Crane permit applications for operations that do not constitute a controlled activity are available from the airport, refer Local Permits.  

Australia's recreational drone safety rules are designed to protect other people in the air and on the ground. CASA is authorised to investigate and issue fines for breaches of Civil aviation safety regulations 1998 Part 101.

While most nations prohibit drones from flying near airports, the millions of small consumer devices that have been purchased around the world can't be tracked on radar, making it difficult for authorities to enforce the rules. In additional, many users don't know the rules or don't follow them. 

Rules which are relevant to operating your drone in an area close to Melbourne Airport are highlighted below:

• You must not fly your drone higher than 120 metres (400ft) above the ground
• If your drone weighs more than 100g, you must keep at least 5.5km away from controlled aerodromes. Flying within 5.5km of a non-controlled aerodrome or helicopter landing site (HLS) is possible, but only if no manned aircraft are operating to or from the aerodrome. If you become aware of the manned aircraft operating to or from the aerodrome/HLS, you must manoeuvre away from the aircraft and land as soon as safely possible
• Remember, you must not operate your drone in a way that creates a hazard to another aircraft, person or property