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# Melbourne preferred runways

> Melbourne preferred runways.

These runway preferences apply to **all aircraft**. All times on this page are **Melbourne local time**. A mode combines landing and departure runways; the priority is for that combination.

## Day and evening: 06:00–23:00

| Priority | Landing runway | Departure runway | Conditions and permitted alternatives |
| - | - | - | - |
| Equal first | 16 | 27 | Subject to traffic, runway 16 departures may be permitted for south- and eastbound routes under the aircraft conditions below. |
| Equal first | 27 | 27 and 34 | Subject to traffic, runway 34 landings are permitted for arrivals via PORTS STAR through the south-west to ALAXO STAR. |
| Second | 09 | 16 | This combination is unavailable from 23:00 to 06:00. |
| Third | 27 | 27 | No additional condition is printed for this row. |
| Fourth | 34 or 16 | 34 or 16 | No additional condition is printed for this row. |
| Fifth | 09 | 09 | Runway 09 itself has equal-first landing preference but the lowest departure preference; see below. |

For the first row’s runway 16 departure alternative, the south- or eastbound aircraft must be either:

* A propeller-driven aircraft with noise emissions no greater than **90 EPNdB** (effective perceived noise decibels), such as a DHC8 or SF34.
* A jet up to **B737/A320 size**, and only when there is a **significant ground delay for a runway 27 departure**.

### High-capacity arrivals

Between **06:00 and 23:00**, landing on **27 and 34 using land-and-hold-short operations (LAHSO)**, with departures on **27**, is an **equal-first** mode. It may be used during peak arrival periods when significant airborne delays would otherwise occur. The [aerodrome layout](https://www.narev.ai/docs/irl-gym/airports/melbourne/charts/aerodrome-layout.md) gives the runway 34 LAHSO landing distance.

## Night: 23:00–06:00

| Priority | Landing runway | Departure runway | Conditions and permitted alternatives |
| - | - | - | - |
| First | 16 | 27 | Subject to traffic, runway 34 landings are permitted for arrivals via ALAXO STAR. When a departing jet needs the longer runway, ATC may nominate the second-priority mode instead. |
| Second | 27 | 27 and 34 | Subject to traffic, runway 34 landings are permitted for arrivals via PORTS STAR through the south-west to ALAXO STAR. ATC may select this mode instead of first priority when a departing jet needs the longer runway. |
| Third | 27 | 27 | No additional condition is printed for this row. |
| Fourth | 34 or 16 | 34 or 16 | No additional condition is printed for this row. |
| Fifth | 09 | 09 | Runway 09 itself has equal-first landing preference but the lowest departure preference; see below. |

The day/evening combination of **landing on 09 and departing on 16 is unavailable at night**. A jet departing runway **16 between 23:00 and 06:00 must use the full runway length**.

## Runway 09 landing preference

Runway **09 is equal first priority for landing and lowest priority for takeoff**. Its fifth-place entry in the tables is the combined landing-and-departure mode, not a fifth-place landing preference. Ad-hoc runway 09 landings may be available when suitable for overall traffic management.

See [preferred flight paths](https://www.narev.ai/docs/irl-gym/airports/melbourne/charts/preferred-flight-paths.md) for populated-area heights, arrival routing and the night restriction for aircraft arriving from the south-east.

Chart **MMLNA01-183**, revised **12 June 2025**, from the fixed publication cycle effective **3 September 2026**.

Source: © Airservices Australia, [Departure and Approach Procedures](https://www.airservicesaustralia.com/aip/current/dap/), MMLNA01-183.


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