Airspace protection

It is essential to protect Melbourne Airport's airspace – now and into the future. Obstructions in the vicinity of an airport have the potential to create air safety hazards and to seriously limit the ability for aircraft to arrive and depart the airport.

While the most critical areas of concern are the immediate approach and take-off areas, it is equally true that objects up to and beyond 20 kilometres from the airport and apparently unrelated to the runway alignment can cause problems for pilots approaching or departing an airport.

The Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations have been updated as of
1 April 2026 as a part of the regulatory sunsetting process.

Applications to carry out a controlled activity that are brought forward on or after 1 April 2026 must be submitted, and a determination relevant to that application be made, under the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 2026.

Section 27 of the Regulations provides that if an application to carry out a controlled activity is submitted under the 1996 Regulations prior to the commencement of the Regulations on 1 April 2026, a determination on that application may be issued under the 1996 Regulations, including after the Regulations has commenced.

For further information on the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 2026, please visit the Department of Infrastructure’s website. 

Part 12 of the Airports Act 1996 and the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 2026 establish a framework for the protection of airspace at and around airports. Under these provisions, Melbourne Airport’s airspace has been declared as Prescribed Airspace. This includes the existing airspace as it is used today, as well as the airspace surrounding the future four-runway layout.

The Airports Act 1996 defines certain activities resulting in an intrusion into an airport's protected airspace to be a "controlled activity", and requires that controlled activities cannot be carried out without approval. The Regulations also outline the process by which controlled activities are assessed for any potential impact to aviation operations including but not limited to:

• constructing a building, or other structure, that intrudes into the prescribed airspace
• altering a building, or other structure, that intrudes into the prescribed airspace
• any other activity that causes a thing attached to, or in physical contact with, the ground to intrude into prescribed airspace
• an activity that results in air turbulence, where the level of the turbulence caused by an emission from a stack or vent is upward vertical velocity of 6.1 metres per second at the point of emission (e.g. plumes, etc.).

Carrying out a controlled activity without approval is an offence under Section 183 of the Airports Act 1996, and is punishable by a fine of up to 250 penalty units. It is an offence under Section 185 of the Act to contravene any conditions imposed on an approval. Under Section 186 of the Act it is an offence not to give information to the airport operator that is relevant to a proposed controlled activity.

International standards have been adopted which define two sets of invisible surfaces above the ground around an airport. The airspace above these surfaces forms an airport's protected airspace, more formally known as prescribed airspace. These two surfaces are the:

1. Obstacle Limitation Surface (OLS)
   
   The OLS consists of two surface types, primary and secondary surfaces. Primary surfaces provide protection to aircraft during their most critical stages of flight and need to be maintained as obstacle free to the extent possible. Secondary surfaces provide protection for aircraft once established in flight where they have a greater degree of flexibility to adapt to the obstacle environment.
2. Terminal Instrument Flight Procedure Obstacle Protection Surface (TIFPOP) (previously known as PANS-OPS).

The OLS is generally the lowest surface and is designed to provide protection for aircraft flying into or out of the airport when the pilot is flying by sight. The TIFPOP surface is designed to safeguard an aircraft from collision with obstacles when the aircraft's flight may be guided solely by instruments, in conditions of poor visibility.

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

Airservices Australia design, manage and maintain the TIFPOP surfaces for Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport’s Declared Airspace – Future Runway Layout 

Melbourne Airport has prepared and published prescribed airspace charts 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. 

Section 26 of the Regulations provide that the Secretary of the Department may delegate certain functions and powers to delegates from the airport operator company, including to approve or refuse applications to carry out controlled activities, and to impose conditions on an approval.

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 two types of activities:

• Temporary
  
  • the activity is not expected to continue longer than 3 months or,
  • the activity is not intended to remain in place permanently and can be readily dismantled or removed and,
• Permanent – anything else

Building authorities in the vicinity of an airport protected airspace are required under the Airports Act 1996 and the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 2026 to review all building and development applications they receive for any intrusions of prescribed airspace. If an infringement is likely to occur, the building authority must notify the airport of the proposal.

Additional information on Airspace Protection at Leased Federal Airports can be found on the Department of Infrastructure’s website. 

Primary Surfaces

Aircraft operating in primary airspace are configured for, and engaged in, critical stages of flight and cannot readily or safely manoeuvre to avoid obstacles. Intrusions into primary airspace therefore generally present an unacceptable impact on the safety, efficiency or regularity of air transport, hence the need to maintain primary surfaces as obstacle free surfaces to the extent possible.

As such, the Regulations prohibit applications to carry out any intrusion into primary airspace that is not temporary. Furthermore, the Regulations specify that an application to carry out a sensitive controlled activity (an activity carried out in relation to primary airspace for an airport) may only be permitted in certain circumstances as detailed in section 13(4) of the Regulations.

Primary surface for an airport means:

• The TIFPOP surface for the airport; or
• any of the following kinds of OLS for the airport:
  • approach surface
  • inner approach surface
  • transitional surface
  • inner transitional surface
  • baulked landing surface
  • take-off climb surface
• a surface declared to be a primary surface for the airport in a declaration made under section 9 of the Regulations.
  

Secondary Surfaces

Aircraft operating in secondary airspace are configured for and engaged in operations that provides a degree of flexibility to adapt to the obstacle environment. However, obstacles intruding into this airspace may present a safety risk and as such, an assessment is required to identify if the proposed intrusion would be hazardous and/or if any potential risks to aviation safety can be managed or mitigated. Secondary surfaces have a wider range of controlled activities that can be approved under the Regulations.

Secondary surface for an airport means:

• any of the following kinds of the OLS for the airport:
  • outer horizontal surface
  • conical surface
  • inner horizontal surface.
• a surface declared to be a secondary surface for the airport in a declaration made under section 9 of the Regulations.

A copy of the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 2026 compliance framework can be obtained from the Department of Infrastructure’s website.

Prescribed Airspace Approvals

Section 12 - Application to undertake a controlled activity into prescribed airspace

This form should be used to apply to undertake a controlled activity into Melbourne Airport’s prescribed airspace, made pursuant to section 12 of the Regulations.

To ensure a prompt review, please ensure that your submission is accurate and complete. Incomplete submissions may result in a delay to the application process.

Application Process Flow Chart – section 12

Section 13 – Request for permission to bring forward an application to undertake a temporary sensitive controlled activity.

This form should be used to request permission to bring forward an application for a temporary sensitive controlled activity into primary airspace, made pursuant to section 13 of the Regulations.

Application Process Flow Chart – section 13

Please email airspaceprotection@melair.com.au with any enquiries relating to prescribed airspace approvals.

Local Crane Permit

Crane operations not requiring a prescribed airspace approval may still require a Melbourne Airport crane permit. Applications should be made in writing to the Melbourne Airport Airfield Operations team at least 7 days before the proposed activity, refer Local Permits.  

These charts depict airspace declared under the previous Regulations, the declarations of which continue in force following the commencement of the Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 2026.

These charts continue to depict the prescribed airspace connected with the airport however, some terminology shown on the charts may reflect the former Airports (Protection of Airspace) Regulations 1996. The change in terminology does not, and should not be taken to mean, that the airspace identified in the charts is no longer prescribed airspace.

Any future update to prescribed airspace charts will reflect the modernised terminology within the 2026 Regulations. 

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. 

Refer to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority website for rules which are relevant to operating your drone an area close to Melbourne Airport.