Filming and Photography at Essendon Fields
With so much history and activity at our airport and surrounding precinct, we know Essendon Fields can be an attractive place for film and photography shoots.
However, as an operating airport, that’s also home to Victoria’s emergency services air wings, our first priority is to ensure the safe and continuous operation of the airfield. Due to the sensitive nature of airport security, it is Essendon Fields Airport protocol for media or other parties wishing to film, photograph or broadcast from anywhere within the precinct to seek prior written permission from Essendon Fields. With over 300 businesses in the surrounding precinct, we also need to respect privacy and maintain access for our tenants, their customers and the local community.
If you’d like to conduct commercial filming or photography at Essendon Fields Airport, you’ll need to seek approval at least 3 weeks advance of your visit and provide details of what you propose to capture. This will help our team determine whether we can facilitate your request. You may require a filming permit, and be required to pay a fee and provide evidence of public liability insurance.
Please read on for more details about filming in specific areas and spaces within the Essendon Fields Airport precinct.
Essendon Fields reserves the right to review any footage or photography taken on site, and refuse permission to any organisations or person to film or photograph at the airport.
Please note that all hangar spaces at Essendon Fields Airport are leased by private tenants, so if you would like to film within a hangar space, you will need to enquire directly with one of our onsite businesses to see what they might be able to accommodate. If this request includes access to airside areas (tarmac or taxiways outside of the hangar space), or the need to use additional car parking spaces within the precinct, a request will also need to be made to the Airport directly, via the form below.
Please see below a list of aviation businesses that may allow filming or photography within their hangars. For all enquiries please contact the business directly. Businesses that would like to be added or removed from this list, please email marketing@ef.com.au.
Shortstop Jet Charter
Hangar 5
https://shortstop.com.au/
Melbourne Heli
Hangar 7
https://www.melbourneheli.com/
Australian Corporate Jet Centre
Hangar 14
https://acjcentres.com.au/
Air Link Airlines
Hangar 85
https://airlinkairlines.com.au/
360 Aviation Group
Hangar 81
https://www.360ag.com.au/
The historic main Essendon Fields Airport passenger terminal has been refurbished in recent years, and is now home to a small business centre and emergency services operations, alongside regular regional passenger services. In order to maintain access and privacy for all users of the terminal, commercial filming within the check-in areas, passenger lounge or other areas is not permitted.
The flying of drones within controlled airspace can present a safety hazard to aviation safety. The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is a government body that regulates aviation safety in Australia. To identify where you can or can’t fly and ensure compliance with laws, please visit the CASA website.
CASA also publish a common sense, plain English guide to help drone pilots understand the rules, you can find this linked here.
In some cases, Essendon Fields may permit commercial filming or photography within our non-airside streets and park areas, if the activity is deemed to have no impact to our aviation operations and surrounding businesses. Permit and parking fees may also apply, and a request will need to be made directly, via the form below.
Essendon Fields Airport is located on Commonwealth Land and as such, building and engineering works are controlled by the Airport Building Controller (ABC). If you plan to erect any temporary structures like marquees, sets or other equipment as part of your filming, you may need to apply for an ABC permit or exemption to ensure compliance with Airport regulations. Details of this equipment should be noted in the form below.
Fees apply for use of public space for commercial filming or still photography.
Different fees apply will apply depending on whether filming is requested landside within the Essendon Fields precinct (in non-restricted aviation areas), or airside in restricted aviation areas.
Fees are calculated once we have assessed the request, and in some circumstances an application fee may also be charged given the time and attention required.
Even if you are filming within a private hangar tenancy or business, you will still need to make an application via the form below, as car parking fees may be payable if the private business cannot accommodate your parking requirements within their allocated business parking bays, and airside facilitation will be required if filming on the apron outside an aviation hangar business.
Generally, there is no fee for student filming as long as the production is kept simple (for example, no props, no dollies on Airport land) and the number of students on site does not exceed 6.
*Last updated 21 October 2024
If you’ve read the information above and believe your filming or photography request is permissable, please fill out the form linked below with details of your request. A member of our team will review and be in touch with more information.
Film and Photography Request Form
A commercial film and photography request form must be completed and approved prior to taking photographs or filming on site.
Requests must be made at least 3 weeks before the intended date of filming.
Please note: If organisations are seeking to film specific operations relating to a certain airline or operator, the requesting organisation must also seek and provide filming approval from the parties (eg. the contracted aviation company, on site business, etc.) involved to ensure they approve of their personnel and processes being filmed prior to Essendon Fields Airport providing approval.
If you wish to discuss your request, please contact our Marketing and Communications team via marketing@ef.com.au.
