Airfield Improvement Works
UPDATE: 3 DECEMBER 2024, 4pm - SITE PLAN
OVERVIEW
With pavements dating back to the 1930s and 1940s, a Pavement Asset Management Plan is imperative to improve our airfield and manage complex and costly ongoing maintenance at Essendon Fields Airport.
Essendon Fields is investing several million dollars into this safety-critical plan, ensuring our runways, taxiways and aprons remain in a sound condition to support operation well into the future.
Throughout these projects, Essendon Fields is working closely with regulators and industry to ensure impacts on operations have been considered, and works are carried out in a safe and timely manner. Those impacted are being consulted during the preparation of works plans, and arrangements and timing of projects formalised in Method of Works Plans.
We thank all aviation customers for their cooperation as we deliver the Pavement Asset Management Plan, which continues to provide a safe and viable Airport for our community.
Click to image enlarge
TIMING
This is an ongoing major investment project, with individual project works scheduled throughout the year to support the wider project plan. Works will be planned and staged as required to minimise impact on airport users.
LOCATION
Project works will take place across Essendon Fields Airport’s runways, taxiways and aprons.
COMMUNICATION
Affected users will be issued a detailed Method of Working Plan (MOWP) ahead of each stage providing details of the project scope, timing and operational impacts. NOTAMs will be issued as required.
MANAGING CONSTRUCTION
All projects undertaken at Essendon Fields are undertaken with strict safety and compliance measures under the MOWP, in full coordination with relevant authorities.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | AIRSIDE DRAINAGE INVESTIGATION
Essendon Fields Airport will be undertaking investigative works on the northern section of the airfield drainage system, in order to develop a drainage rectification plan for this area of the airport.
Works will involve a CCTV review of drains, drain clearing, drainage system mapping and condition assessment to facilitate development of future rectification and maintenance plan.
These works are scheduled to occur daily Monday to Friday from 0600 to 1500 local time, between 28 April and 9 May 2025, as advised to affected operators via a Method of Working Plan.
During these works overnight runway closures will be required for a brief period on Runway 08/26 and Runway 17/35 (not simultaneously). When Runway 08/26 is unavailable, it will be subject to a 30-minute recall based on operational requirements.
We thank our airport operators for their understanding as we complete this important asphalt upgrade.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | TAXIWAY DELTA ASPHALT REPLACEMENT
Approximately 850m2 of asphalt pavement was replaced along a 54m section of Taxiway Delta in April 2025.
This project included the temporary removal and subsequent reinstatement of taxiway lighting to facilitate removal of the existing asphalt layer back to the concrete base, and surface preparation to apply a new 40mm new asphalt layer, ensuring Taxiway Delta remains in sound condition to service aircraft operators into the future.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | TAXIWAY HOTEL PAVEMENT WORKS AND JOINT SEALING
A program of pavement works to Taxiway Hotel were completed in August 2024 to help prevent water ingestion into the underlying pavement layers and subgrade, alongside the sealing of approximately 1200 lineal metres of concrete joints.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | RUNWAY 17/35 PAVEMENT SURFACE TREATMENT
An important part of the wider pavement asset management plan is a surface enrichment and rejuvenation treatment to the existing north-south runway, carried out in March 2023. In order to deliver these works, temporary runway closures were carefully managed, with work occurring over three stages.
PROJECT HIGHLIGHT | TERMINAL APRON CRACK SEALING PROJECT
The Airport comprises almost 60,000 lineal metres of concrete joints across the airfield, and sealing those joints is an important part of keeping the pavement subgrade free of water, which overtime can lead to pavement fault.
In late 2022 over 8,400 lineal metres of joints were resealed on the Essendon Fields Airport Terminal Apron, an investment of a quarter of a million dollars. Airport Operations Manager John Nahyna explains more about this process via the video below.
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DEVELOPMENT PROGRESS
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EXPLORE ESSENDON FIELDS
MELBOURNE'S PLACE FOR BUSINESS
INTERACTIVE TOUR
There are over 200 active businesses including Linfox, Armaguard, Australia Post, Wilson Security and Visy that have chosen Essendon Fields as their home.
HERITAGE
The vibrant commercial hub of Essendon Fields has hosted aviation activities since 1919. Steeped in history, many of our leasing opportunities exist within heritage buildings.
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We’re committed to protecting our local environment and focus heavily on creating pocket parks, walking trails and green spaces for our local community to enjoy.