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Data source: OurAirports (2026-09-01 Snapshot) · Methodology & Verification →

Melbourne Avalon International Airport

Compiled by Bill Gao

Geelong/Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)

IATA: AVV ICAO: YMAV

Longest Active Runway

10,000 ft

3,048 meters

Field Elevation

35 ft

11 m MSL

Runway Inventory

1 active

Lighted / Paved

Coordinates & Class

-38.0403°, 144.4672°

LARGE AIRPORT

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Multi-Universe Rankings & Statistical Standing

How ranks work →

RunwayFacts Published Dataset

tied #557 of 650

In curated primary commercial index

Global Commercial Universe

#976 of 7558

Top 13.4% percentile worldwide

For airports with equal runway length, the worldwide order does not indicate a length difference.

National Standing (Australia)

#9 of 9 in AU

#12 of 537 in full national registry

vs Large Airport Median

+0%

Compared to 10,000 ft baseline

💡 AVV in numbers: 10,000 ft longest runway · tied #557 of 650 published · #976 of 7,558 worldwide (top 13.4%) · #9 in Australia.

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Editorial Aerodrome Deep Dive: Melbourne Avalon International Airport (AVV)

Curated Aerodrome Profile

Avalon Airport combines deep aerospace manufacturing heritage with competitive low-cost passenger operations. Located near Geelong on the western edge of Port Phillip Bay at 35 ft MSL, AVV's 10,000 ft runway easily accommodates heavy international widebody transports and aerobatic military demonstration teams. Its open terrain and low congestion make it a favorite alternate diversion airfield for Melbourne.

Runway Layout & Magnetic Alignments

Single paved Runway 18/36 (10,000 ft / 3,048 m).

Expansion Milestones & Predecessor Facilities

Constructed in 1952 as a flight test and assembly center for Australian-built Canberra bombers and Mirage fighters. Developed into a commercial low-cost carrier terminal in 2004; home to the biennial Australian International Airshow.

Regional Differentiation & Cluster Role

Secondary commercial airport for the Greater Melbourne region, positioned 28 NM southwest of Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) and 8 NM northeast of Geelong.

Data Nuances & Operational Quirks

Offers 10,000 ft of reinforced concrete runway surrounded by open rural plains, providing unobstructed flight paths and low air traffic congestion.

📚 Official Aerodrome Sourcing: Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) · Airservices Australia Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP DAP)

Verification Methodology →

🔬 Operational & Aerodrome Engineering Comparative Analysis

Longest runway 8,000–10,499 ft

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Elevation & National Context

Lowland Aerodrome (<2,000 ft)

AVV lies at 11 m (35 ft), #542 of 650 published airports by elevation and 15.5 percentile among 7,558 worldwide. It is 4 ft above the Australia median (31 ft, 9 airports); MEL is highest at 434 ft, 399 ft higher than AVV.

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Regional Density & Alternates (100 NM)

1 Qualifying Aerodrome in Vicinity

Closest of 1 paved-runway (≥5,000 ft) neighbour within 100 NM: Melbourne Airport (MEL), 28.3 NM, 11,998 ft. MEL has the radius's longest runway, 1,998 ft more than AVV.

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Runway Inventory & National Standing

Primary Runway: 10,000 ft (3,048 m)

AVV runway: 18/36 10,000 × 148 ft asphalt (asp). National standing: #9 of 9 in Australia; SYD leads by 2,999 ft (12,999 ft). +0% vs the 10,000 ft baseline.

🛫 Physical Runway Inventory & Surface Engineering

Runway Designator	Length (ft / m)	Width (ft / m)	Surface Material	Lighting	Status
18/36	10,000 ft (3048 m / 3.048 km)	148 ft (45m)	`Asphalt (ASP)`	✅ Lighted	✅ Active

🧭 Comparative Aerodromes (100 NM Radius, ≥5,000 ft Paved)

Great-circle Haversine spatial proximity matching for commercial facilities with paved runway capacity within 100 NM.

Aerodrome Name	IATA	Distance	Longest Runway	Lighting
Melbourne Airport (Melbourne)	`MEL`	28.3 NM (52.4 km)	11,998 ft	✅ Lighted

🛡️ Source: OurAirports Open Aviation Database, snapshot 2026-09-01 · Provenance →