Plan ahead: Allow extra travel time to Melbourne Airport

PSA: If you’re heading to the airport over January to early March 2025, we encourage you to allow an extra 30 minutes for your journey due to potential delays caused by construction works in the Terminal 123 forecourt. If you're picking up or dropping off loved ones, consider using Exit 19A and the Terminal 4 Car Park to avoid congestion in the Terminal 123 forecourt. We apologise for the inconvenience.

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Melbourne Airport lands a US giant, with Delta to launch flights to LAX

One of the world’s largest airlines will add Melbourne to its extensive network, with Delta Air Lines confirming it will launch direct flights from Los Angeles later this year.

The new service will initially operate three times per week from early December, with plans to grow as further long-haul A350 aircraft enter the fleet.

Delta will become the first airline to fly the Airbus A350 non-stop from Melbourne and the United States, with the 275-seat aircraft fitted with Delta’s brand-new four-class cabin, including 40 premium Delta One suites.

The new flights will feed into Delta’s busy Los Angeles hub, where the airline is the largest premium carrier and provides convenient onward connections to more than 40 cities in the United States.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said the launch of Delta’s service to Melbourne was a vote of confidence in Victoria and an exciting opportunity for the state.

“Delta is one of the largest airlines in the world and is consistently rated one of North America’s best carriers, so we’re thrilled to have them adding Melbourne to their network because of the opportunities it presents for Victorians and Victorian business,” she said.

“The new services will help bring hundreds of extra visitors to our state each week, which will help support Victoria’s world-class tourism, dining and hospitality venues.

“North America is an incredibly important inbound market for us, and we're proud to be partnering with Visit Victoria to help restore capacity on the Los Angeles route and incentivise North American tourists to make Melbourne their first stop.

“The arrival of a new carrier on the route will also make it easier for Victorian businesses to connect with one of our key trading partners and Victorian families wanting to travel to Disneyland or North American ski fields.

“The additional cargo capacity will enable more high-value Victorian exports to travel directly to North America, without the expense of a transit through Sydney.”

Delta’s new service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Melbourne (MEL) will operate three times weekly, with flights departing LAX at 9:25pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, arriving in Melbourne at 8:15am (+2) local time.

Return flights depart Melbourne at 10:25am on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Los Angeles at 6:10am local time the same day.