BlaakLane.com books Essendon Fields car service at a fixed fare you see before you confirm. Add your tail number and the hotel, office or home, and the chauffeur is timed to your actual landing at MEB. Pickup outside your handler's terminal is standard; a car at the aircraft needs approval from the handler and the aircraft operator and cannot be guaranteed.
How do I book a car at Essendon Fields?
Pick Essendon Fields Airport as the pickup on the reservation engine or the book page, select your handling agent, and type the aircraft registration. Enter the drop-off: a hotel at Crown or Collins Street, an office in Docklands, a home in Toorak or Brighton, or a winery in the Yarra Valley. Pick the car and the fixed fare appears on screen.
The Toronto desk takes bookings 24/7. In Victoria the trip is driven by a vetted local affiliate from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, contracted to the BlaakLane.com written standard. Once assigned, the operator, the chauffeur and the car appear on your confirmation.
Melbourne's business aviation airport
Essendon Fields, about 13 kilometres north-west of the CBD, was Melbourne's main airport before Tullamarine opened. Today it is a business aviation, charter and air ambulance airport with no scheduled airline traffic, and it sits much closer to the city than Melbourne Airport. Private passengers use the terminals of the handling agents and FBOs on the field; your flight plan names the handler, and the chauffeur waits at that door. The Essendon Fields website describes the precinct.
Terminal pickup and airside requests
The chauffeur waits at the handler's entrance, and ground staff bring your bags from the aircraft. If you want the car at the aircraft, ask at booking; we send the chauffeur's details and plate to the handler and your aircraft operator, and airside access is only granted with their approval for that arrival.
International arrivals and border clearance
Most private flights into Essendon Fields are domestic. International arrivals need Australian immigration, customs and biosecurity clearance, which at a business aviation airport depends on prior arrangement with the Australian Border Force. Many long-range flights clear at Melbourne Airport first and reposition to Essendon Fields, or simply stay at Tullamarine. Your flight department confirms the plan. Almost every visitor needs a visa or electronic travel authority before departure, and biosecurity rules on food and plant material are strict.
Drive times from MEB
| Destination | Typical drive | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Moonee Valley Racecourse | 5-10 minutes | Next to the airport |
| Flemington Racecourse | 15-20 minutes | Melbourne Cup venue |
| Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) | 10-15 minutes | For airline connections |
| Docklands and Marvel Stadium | 20-25 minutes | CityLink |
| CBD, Collins Street | 20-30 minutes | Via CityLink |
| Southbank and Crown | 25-35 minutes | Hotels and the arts precinct |
| MCG and Melbourne Park | 25-35 minutes | Sporting precinct |
| Albert Park | 30-40 minutes | Grand Prix circuit |
| South Yarra and Toorak | 30-40 minutes | Residences and boutiques |
| Brighton | 40-50 minutes | Bayside homes |
| Yarra Valley wineries | 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes | Eastern Freeway and Maroondah Highway |
| Mornington Peninsula | 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes | Monash and Peninsula Link |
Australia drives on the left. CityLink, the tolled motorway past Essendon, is the fastest way into the city. In the CBD, some intersections use hook turns, where cars turn right from the left lane to keep clear of the trams; local chauffeurs handle them daily.
Melbourne's big event weeks
Melbourne's sporting calendar drives private aviation traffic. The Australian Open tennis at Melbourne Park runs in January. The Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park is usually held in March. The AFL Grand Final at the MCG is usually played on the last Saturday of September, and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington is run on the first Tuesday in November (Victoria Racing Club). On those days Essendon Fields is at its busiest and roads near the venues close. Book early and agree drop-off points with the chauffeur.
Which vehicle class?
| Vehicle class | Capacity | Typical Essendon trip |
|---|---|---|
| Luxury Executive Sedan | 2 passengers, 2 bags | Executives to Collins Street |
| Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach) | 2 passengers, 2 bags | Principals to Flemington on Cup day |
| Standard Black SUV | 6 passengers, 6 bags | Families with luggage |
| Executive Black SUV | 6 passengers, 6 bags | Toorak homes and Yarra Valley weekends |
| Sprinter Van | 12 passengers, 12 small bags | Teams, crews and race-day groups |
| Sprinter Luxury Jet Van | 7 passengers, carry-on only | Groups heading straight to a venue |
A Luxury Stretch Limo or Party Bus suits race days and celebrations. See the fleet for photographs.
Discretion and sports teams
Essendon Fields receives business leaders, racehorse owners, touring artists and sports teams. Chauffeurs carry no name board unless asked and can use venue and hotel service entrances. Artists and crews can read entertainment and touring transport, and event organisers event transportation.
Waiting, hourly hire and cancellation
We follow the aircraft registration, so the chauffeur's timing matches the actual landing. From landing, 60 minutes of waiting are included for an international arrival and 30 for a domestic leg, with 15-minute blocks after that. Hourly hire starts at three hours, handy on race days. Cancel with more than 72 hours' notice and nothing is charged; with 72 hours or less 10% is due, with 48 hours or less half the fare, and with 24 hours or less or a no-show the whole fare. Planning ranges are on the rates page.
Wine country and the bay
Private visitors often combine a Melbourne stay with a day or weekend outside the city. The Yarra Valley, with its wineries and restaurants, is 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes from Essendon Fields; the Mornington Peninsula, with its hot springs, vineyards and bay beaches, about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes. Phillip Island, known for its penguin parade and the MotoGP circuit, is 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. Hourly hire, with a three-hour minimum, or a booking through city tours and day trips keeps the chauffeur with you all day.
Leaving from Essendon Fields
For a departure, book the pickup with the tail number and planned departure time. The chauffeur drops you at your handler's entrance. From the CBD, allow 20 to 30 minutes outside rush hours; from Toorak or Brighton, 35 to 50 minutes.
Related pages
The city guide is at Melbourne chauffeur service, and airline arrivals are on the Melbourne airport page. For Sydney, read the Sydney FBO page. The official tourism site is Visit Melbourne. Operators who fly into this field often can set up an account through the private aviation and FBO industry page; single trips are covered under private airport transfer.
