November 26, 2025 • 9 mins
Sam speaks to Sara and Belinda from the Melbourne AIrport Assist Program, helping passengers with disabilities get around Melbourne Airport safely and accessibly.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
S1 (00:13):
I'm here today with two guests from the Melbourne Airport
Assist program, Sarah McDonald and Belinda marcon. They're here to
tell us all about the program and how it can
help people with disabilities navigate the airport safely and accessibly.
Sarah Bell, welcome to Talking Vision. Thank you very much
(00:35):
for your time.
S2 (00:36):
Hi. Good morning Sam. Thank you.
S3 (00:39):
Thanks for having us, Sam.
S1 (00:40):
Now, firstly, let's get into the details around the Melbourne
Airport Assist program. Tell us a bit about it.
S2 (00:49):
Okay, so the Melbourne Airport Assist program runs seven days
a week, including public holidays. The service operates from 6 a.m.
to 10 p.m.. We support people coming to the airport
who are living with disabilities or mobility requirements, or passengers
who may have a little bit extra luggage or just
need a help wayfinding. So with arriving passengers, they may
(01:12):
be arriving from a regional coach dropping off a hire car,
and they just need a little bit extra support or
find that distance too far to get to check in.
We can take the passenger to check in, introduce them
to the airline staff, who then get the passenger through
the gate. For those passengers arriving coming back into Melbourne,
we can meet them at the baggage reclaim area where
they pick up their luggage and then get them back
(01:33):
out to their taxi car or regional bus. So our
service runs landside only for anything through security. The airline
would help the passenger get through to the gate.
S1 (01:42):
And, um, how did the program come about?
S3 (01:46):
So Travellers Aid has been talking with Melbourne Airport on
and off for quite a number of years about different
services that we may be able to offer, and obviously
replicating some of the programs that Travelers Aid has at
the moment through the train station, Southern Cross and Flinders Street,
and regionally through some of the V line stations. Um,
and obviously the, you know, the white paper into the
(02:08):
aviation industry sort of put a bit of a prompt
to push that along, and Melbourne Airport wanted to be
one of the first airports to trial something. And and
so last year we actually conducted a four month pilot. Uh,
it seems like the wrong word to use in terms
of an airport, a four month trial, maybe of this
exact service to see how it would work, where it
(02:29):
would be most beneficial at the time. We ran it
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and overwhelmingly
the feedback was which we knew it would be, but was.
Obviously we need this service seven days a week and
much longer hours. But in that four month period, we
assisted 8500 people. And so it was pretty clear almost
from day one that the service was needed and there
(02:52):
was a demand for it. And that gave us the opportunity.
Once the trial ended to step back, the airport put
out a public tender for it and which obviously travelers
were successful in winning. But I think that that trial
really paved the way for us to be able to
just slot back in in September this year when we
started the program again and hit the ground running with
something that we knew would work ultimately for for travelers,
(03:15):
which is our goal throughout the whole program.
S1 (03:18):
Following on from that, let's have a bit of a
chat about who the program is designed to assist. Are
there any particular groups in mind of people with disabilities
that have expressed a need for these sort of services,
or is it more of a broader outlook?
S2 (03:38):
I'd definitely say a broader outlook. Yes. Someone mentioned earlier
on passengers travelling with mobility requirements. Melbourne Airport is quite large,
quite big to get around, and some passengers find that
distance can be quite overwhelming. It also may be passengers
who have come back from a holiday, who have injured themselves,
who need that extra support to get around. In terms
(03:58):
of people living with disability, it may be people living
with low vision or hearing impaired hidden disability passengers as well.
So really, it's quite a broad range of passengers that
we assist through the airport. Not one particular niche.
S1 (04:13):
And how can people access the program? How can they
let you know? I do need this service at this time,
on this day. What's the best way for people to
let you know there?
S2 (04:25):
Sure. So it's quite a number of ways that passengers
can book. The first being via the Melbourne Airport website.
There's a booking form the passenger can complete which will
come to us, and then we'll create the booking and
meet the passenger on their day of arrival. The other
option is on the day of arrival. Passengers can call
and let us know that they're at the airport. We
(04:45):
can come out to meet them, take them where they
need to, go to the airline counter or check in counter. Alternatively,
we have a team of about 30 staff and maybe
about ten a day between the hours that we run
the program who are very proactive. And they also may
see a passenger who needs that extra support, and they're
not afraid to approach that passenger and see what kind
of assistance they can need or provide. So you can
(05:07):
either come to us and pre-book, or maybe we'll bump
into you and we'll provide you that service.
S1 (05:12):
Perfect. And just very quickly, before we move on, let's
super briefly recap what days and times those are for
people out there.
S2 (05:23):
Job. So seven days a week, including public holidays from
6 a.m. to 10 p.m..
S1 (05:29):
Okay, perfect. Now, are you aware of other programs in
Australia or around the world have done similar? And if so,
did they play a role in the model that you've
built here in Melbourne?
S3 (05:42):
We weren't able to find an identical kind of program.
There's definitely a lot of similar programs that operate around
the world. This particular program is the first of its
kind in Australia, but some of the larger airports, particularly Heathrow,
they have similar programs. One of the things that we
(06:03):
really wanted to incorporate into this was that part that
Bell just spoke about where the staff were quite proactive,
so we didn't necessarily want it to be a purely
booked service because we know that people don't always, you know,
plans change or they can arrive at the airport and
best laid plans they thought they were going to be,
(06:25):
you know, physically able or, or in a, in the
right headspace to walk from A to B and they
get there and, you know, the wheels have fallen off
the cart or it's just not the day for it.
And they need that extra support. So be able to
get that without feeling like I had to book it,
you know, three days in advance and now there's not
there's not someone available. So that was something we really
wanted to incorporate into it. And we hadn't seen a
(06:46):
model that was similar to that elsewhere in the world.
But we definitely learned from Travelers Aid, a part of
an international organization. So there's travelers aids in the United
States in particular, and they have services in the airport.
So we certainly learned a lot from their experiences and
the experiences of travelers around the world, but also train
stations as well. Uh, one of our colleagues did a
(07:06):
study tour last year through the UK and through our
own train station works. Uh, you know, there are similar
sorts of programs out there using different types of equipment.
But yeah, we really just wanted to have something that
was suitable to the service user and adaptable to their
needs and on the day as well. So it didn't
have to be something that you could predict for the future,
(07:27):
that you could just access as you need and in
the form that you needed as well. So we've got
a buggy there that operates between terminal three and the
T4 carpark, terminal four carpark, but power wheelchairs and the
staff can walk with service users as well. So if
that's your preference, if you prefer to walk from A
to B and you maybe just need some assistance with
a luggage or guidance to get to your check in
(07:48):
point or out to the car, then we can walk
with you as well. So it's very much designed to
be what the service user requires, as opposed to a
prescriptive service.
S1 (07:57):
For people who would like to find out a bit more,
or get in touch with the airport to request one
of the services. Bell. What's the best way for people
to do that?
S2 (08:10):
So there's two ways that passengers can contact us or
find out some more information about Melbourne Airport Assist and
the types of services that we offer. So travellers can
book on the Melbourne Airport website and the Mobility Access
page or Travellers Aid website. Alternatively, if a passenger would
prefer to call and speak with one of us, they're
more than welcome to do so. The phone number is 0492 868 960.
S1 (08:36):
Perfect. Well, I've been speaking today with Sarah McDonald and
Belinda marcon, all about the Travellers Aid services at Melbourne
Airport to help people get from point A to point
B and onto the plane safely and accessibly. Well, Sarah,
thank you so much for your time today. It was
(08:58):
great to catch up with you and hear all about
the program.
S2 (09:02):
Thank you for having us, Sam.
S3 (09:04):
Thanks, Sam.
I'm here today with two guests from the Melbourne Airport
Assist program, Sarah McDonald and Belinda marcon. They're here to
tell us all about the program and how it can
help people with disabilities navigate the airport safely and accessibly.
Sarah Bell, welcome to Talking Vision. Thank you very much
(00:35):
for your time.
S2 (00:36):
Hi. Good morning Sam. Thank you.
S3 (00:39):
Thanks for having us, Sam.
S1 (00:40):
Now, firstly, let's get into the details around the Melbourne
Airport Assist program. Tell us a bit about it.
S2 (00:49):
Okay, so the Melbourne Airport Assist program runs seven days
a week, including public holidays. The service operates from 6 a.m.
to 10 p.m.. We support people coming to the airport
who are living with disabilities or mobility requirements, or passengers
who may have a little bit extra luggage or just
need a help wayfinding. So with arriving passengers, they may
(01:12):
be arriving from a regional coach dropping off a hire car,
and they just need a little bit extra support or
find that distance too far to get to check in.
We can take the passenger to check in, introduce them
to the airline staff, who then get the passenger through
the gate. For those passengers arriving coming back into Melbourne,
we can meet them at the baggage reclaim area where
they pick up their luggage and then get them back
(01:33):
out to their taxi car or regional bus. So our
service runs landside only for anything through security. The airline
would help the passenger get through to the gate.
S1 (01:42):
And, um, how did the program come about?
S3 (01:46):
So Travellers Aid has been talking with Melbourne Airport on
and off for quite a number of years about different
services that we may be able to offer, and obviously
replicating some of the programs that Travelers Aid has at
the moment through the train station, Southern Cross and Flinders Street,
and regionally through some of the V line stations. Um,
and obviously the, you know, the white paper into the
(02:08):
aviation industry sort of put a bit of a prompt
to push that along, and Melbourne Airport wanted to be
one of the first airports to trial something. And and
so last year we actually conducted a four month pilot. Uh,
it seems like the wrong word to use in terms
of an airport, a four month trial, maybe of this
exact service to see how it would work, where it
(02:29):
would be most beneficial at the time. We ran it
Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and overwhelmingly
the feedback was which we knew it would be, but was.
Obviously we need this service seven days a week and
much longer hours. But in that four month period, we
assisted 8500 people. And so it was pretty clear almost
from day one that the service was needed and there
(02:52):
was a demand for it. And that gave us the opportunity.
Once the trial ended to step back, the airport put
out a public tender for it and which obviously travelers
were successful in winning. But I think that that trial
really paved the way for us to be able to
just slot back in in September this year when we
started the program again and hit the ground running with
something that we knew would work ultimately for for travelers,
(03:15):
which is our goal throughout the whole program.
S1 (03:18):
Following on from that, let's have a bit of a
chat about who the program is designed to assist. Are
there any particular groups in mind of people with disabilities
that have expressed a need for these sort of services,
or is it more of a broader outlook?
S2 (03:38):
I'd definitely say a broader outlook. Yes. Someone mentioned earlier
on passengers travelling with mobility requirements. Melbourne Airport is quite large,
quite big to get around, and some passengers find that
distance can be quite overwhelming. It also may be passengers
who have come back from a holiday, who have injured themselves,
who need that extra support to get around. In terms
(03:58):
of people living with disability, it may be people living
with low vision or hearing impaired hidden disability passengers as well.
So really, it's quite a broad range of passengers that
we assist through the airport. Not one particular niche.
S1 (04:13):
And how can people access the program? How can they
let you know? I do need this service at this time,
on this day. What's the best way for people to
let you know there?
S2 (04:25):
Sure. So it's quite a number of ways that passengers
can book. The first being via the Melbourne Airport website.
There's a booking form the passenger can complete which will
come to us, and then we'll create the booking and
meet the passenger on their day of arrival. The other
option is on the day of arrival. Passengers can call
and let us know that they're at the airport. We
(04:45):
can come out to meet them, take them where they
need to, go to the airline counter or check in counter. Alternatively,
we have a team of about 30 staff and maybe
about ten a day between the hours that we run
the program who are very proactive. And they also may
see a passenger who needs that extra support, and they're
not afraid to approach that passenger and see what kind
of assistance they can need or provide. So you can
(05:07):
either come to us and pre-book, or maybe we'll bump
into you and we'll provide you that service.
S1 (05:12):
Perfect. And just very quickly, before we move on, let's
super briefly recap what days and times those are for
people out there.
S2 (05:23):
Job. So seven days a week, including public holidays from
6 a.m. to 10 p.m..
S1 (05:29):
Okay, perfect. Now, are you aware of other programs in
Australia or around the world have done similar? And if so,
did they play a role in the model that you've
built here in Melbourne?
S3 (05:42):
We weren't able to find an identical kind of program.
There's definitely a lot of similar programs that operate around
the world. This particular program is the first of its
kind in Australia, but some of the larger airports, particularly Heathrow,
they have similar programs. One of the things that we
(06:03):
really wanted to incorporate into this was that part that
Bell just spoke about where the staff were quite proactive,
so we didn't necessarily want it to be a purely
booked service because we know that people don't always, you know,
plans change or they can arrive at the airport and
best laid plans they thought they were going to be,
(06:25):
you know, physically able or, or in a, in the
right headspace to walk from A to B and they
get there and, you know, the wheels have fallen off
the cart or it's just not the day for it.
And they need that extra support. So be able to
get that without feeling like I had to book it,
you know, three days in advance and now there's not
there's not someone available. So that was something we really
wanted to incorporate into it. And we hadn't seen a
(06:46):
model that was similar to that elsewhere in the world.
But we definitely learned from Travelers Aid, a part of
an international organization. So there's travelers aids in the United
States in particular, and they have services in the airport.
So we certainly learned a lot from their experiences and
the experiences of travelers around the world, but also train
stations as well. Uh, one of our colleagues did a
(07:06):
study tour last year through the UK and through our
own train station works. Uh, you know, there are similar
sorts of programs out there using different types of equipment.
But yeah, we really just wanted to have something that
was suitable to the service user and adaptable to their
needs and on the day as well. So it didn't
have to be something that you could predict for the future,
(07:27):
that you could just access as you need and in
the form that you needed as well. So we've got
a buggy there that operates between terminal three and the
T4 carpark, terminal four carpark, but power wheelchairs and the
staff can walk with service users as well. So if
that's your preference, if you prefer to walk from A
to B and you maybe just need some assistance with
a luggage or guidance to get to your check in
(07:48):
point or out to the car, then we can walk
with you as well. So it's very much designed to
be what the service user requires, as opposed to a
prescriptive service.
S1 (07:57):
For people who would like to find out a bit more,
or get in touch with the airport to request one
of the services. Bell. What's the best way for people
to do that?
S2 (08:10):
So there's two ways that passengers can contact us or
find out some more information about Melbourne Airport Assist and
the types of services that we offer. So travellers can
book on the Melbourne Airport website and the Mobility Access
page or Travellers Aid website. Alternatively, if a passenger would
prefer to call and speak with one of us, they're
more than welcome to do so. The phone number is 0492 868 960.
S1 (08:36):
Perfect. Well, I've been speaking today with Sarah McDonald and
Belinda marcon, all about the Travellers Aid services at Melbourne
Airport to help people get from point A to point
B and onto the plane safely and accessibly. Well, Sarah,
thank you so much for your time today. It was
(08:58):
great to catch up with you and hear all about
the program.
S2 (09:02):
Thank you for having us, Sam.
S3 (09:04):
Thanks, Sam.
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