Victorian travellers are being urged to plan ahead and book airport parking early, with Melbourne Airport anticipating its busiest international summer period on record.

Between December 13 and January 27, Australia’s busiest 24-hour airport is preparing to welcome more than 4.8 million passengers, including more than 1.8 million international travellers, which would be a new record.

Jetstar and Virgin Australia are both expecting their busiest ever summer in Melbourne, while international carriers such as China Southern, Juneyao Airlines, South Korea’s Asiana Airlines, Taiwan’s China Airlines and South America’s LATAM have added extra capacity this month.

Singapore, Auckland, Bali, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur are the top five international destinations from Melbourne, with many travellers using the Asian hubs for connections to other ports.

Melbourne Airport is currently upgrading its terminal and road infrastructure to help accommodate growing traveller numbers, and the airport is recommending passengers add an extra 30 minutes to their travel time.

Works will be scaled back during the Christmas peak, but carparks will be operating with reduced capacity and passengers will notice construction hoarding in the terminals.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said staff were looking forward to welcoming holiday travellers.

“We’re excited to play our part in the Christmas plans of so many Australians, but with such large volumes of people travelling this year, planning ahead will help ensure the best start possible,” she said.

“Construction of our new elevated express roadway means airport car parks are operating with fewer bays and will likely sell out on most weekends, so we’d recommend passengers plan ahead and book online, which also ensures they secure the cheapest available rate.

“Anyone planning to park at the airport should allow extra time to find a space, as the car parks will be busy.

“Where possible, we would advise passengers travelling to and from the airport to use the Terminal 4 car park drop off and pick up zones to avoid congestion in the main terminal forecourt.

“Our security screening lanes will be fully staffed so that processing times can be kept to a minimum, and we’ll have extra cleaners, customer service staff and engineers rostered on to address any issues that arise.

“International arrivals can be particularly congested during peak times and we are working with the Australian Border Force to secure more SmartGate kiosks, because our current allocation is insufficient to cope with the number of passengers we are expecting.

“We have recently opened new, larger passenger amenities in international arrivals which are a significant upgrade on what was there before, but we still have major works underway on the baggage system.

“The forecast record international passenger numbers highlight the need for Melbourne Airport to start building its third runway, which was approved by the Federal Government in September.”

In good news for local restaurants and accommodation providers, Melbourne Airport is expecting to welcome a significant number of domestic visitors, as tens of thousands of Australians head to Victoria for the best in global sport, culture and dining.

Data from Flight Centre shows Melbourne is this summer’s destination of choice for Australian travellers.

Flight Centre Travel Group Managing Director Australia James Kavanagh said the Victorian capital had edged out other east coast favourites.

“Melbourne has come out on top as Flight Centre’s most booked domestic destination these upcoming holidays with 20 per cent of Aussie travellers making it their pick.

“According to our data the events and foodie capital outstripped second-place Sydney with 17 per cent followed by Brisbane with 15 per cent.”