Melbourne Tullamarine Airport to get new FBO

Construction of a new FBO at Melbourne’s Tullamarine International Airport will begin later in the year, as the new owners of the airports Aviation Precinct look towards attracting wealthy Asian jet owners.

The new facility, which will include aircraft hangars and a full service FBO that will include board rooms for visiting passengers, is estimated to cost around $30 million to complete.

Designed by Cox Architecture, work on the new complex should begin within the next six months, and will take between 18 – 24 months to complete.

Australian Businessman Paul Little, himself an owner of a Gulfstream G550, purchased a 30-year lease of the Melbourne Aviation Precinct from construction company John Holland, and says that Tullamarine’s 24-hour operation could give his facility the edge over Essendon Airport.

Essendon Airport, in the north Melbourne suburbs, has been the traditional choice for private jets visiting the city, and has a number of Australian registered business jets based at the airport.

Little says that he is already in conversation with jet owners based as far away as Sydney, and has already received interest from Crown Casino’s, who will be looking to provide helicopter transfers between the new facility and their casino locations.