If there's one thing that transcends all human difference, it's the united exhaustion of waiting by a baggage claim after a flight. The endless pacing! The panicked rush! The deep horror! And, of course, the classic nightmare of waiting for your luggage, only to be met with an evil, empty baggage carousel and the sad realisation that your bag is actually headed somewhere far, far away. Like Perth, or Timbuktu.
It is this particular scenario that makes Melbourne Airport's whopping half-a-billion dollar redevelopment of its baggage claim process so very welcome. Constructed over the course of the year amidst the chaos of an operational international airport, the new system is a wild 3.6 kilometres long – the same length as the airport's longest runway.
Testing is currently in process for this new, world-class baggage system that is said to be able to double the existing baggage system's capacity for travellers, bringing the total number of bags that can be processed in one hour up from a current 1,800 to a huge 4,000.
Better yet, it will feature state-of-the-art technology that will have the ability to provide airlines with the tracking and status of people's bags from the moment their luggage gets checked in. Goodbye, lost baggage mayhem.
With international arrivals to Melbourne at a record high, with 1,032,448 arrivals recorded in October 2025 alone, it is clear that a solid baggage system is a necessity for an airport that is only continuing to grow.
“The new system will mean fewer lost bags, with airlines able to track every bag in real-time from check-in to the aircraft, giving peace of mind to passengers while supporting on time performance,” said Melbourne Airport Chief of Aviation, Jim Parashos. “Having an automated bag store will allow us to let passengers check-in much earlier for their flights and in the future will enable true anytime check-in, which is exciting for both airlines and travellers.”
The new system is slated to kick into gear in March 2026.
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