---
title: "MEL is which airport? Melbourne"
description: "MEL is Melbourne Airport in Melbourne, Australia. Why the code is MEL and not something you could guess, what YMML means, and the codes it gets mixed up with."
url: https://atoneplace.net/airport/mel/
site: "At One Place"
---

# What airport is MEL?

**MEL is: Melbourne Airport**

Melbourne, Australia

## Why the code is MEL

MELbourne.

The airport authority or a contemporaneous record states this directly.

## The airport

- **IATA code:** MEL
- **ICAO code:** YMML
- **Airport:** Melbourne Airport
- **City:** Melbourne, Australia
- **Opened:** 1970
- **Code origin:** Documented

Melbourne has no curfew, which is why it takes the freight and the late arrivals that Sydney cannot. It is often called Tullamarine after the suburb, which the ICAO code YMML does not reflect at all.

## The other code, YMML

Every airport has two codes. The three-letter IATA code, MEL, is the one on your boarding pass and your luggage tag, and it is assigned for commercial use. The four-letter ICAO code, YMML, is the one pilots and controllers use, and it is assigned geographically: the first letter or two identify the region, so every airport in the same part of the world shares a prefix. That is why YMML looks nothing like MEL.

## Common questions

### What airport is MEL?

Melbourne Airport, in Melbourne, Australia.

### Why is Melbourne's airport called MEL?

MELbourne.

### What is the difference between MEL and YMML?

MEL is the IATA code, used commercially — tickets, timetables, luggage tags. YMML is the ICAO code, used operationally by pilots and air traffic control, and assigned geographically by region.

## Related pages

- [Australia](https://atoneplace.net/country/australia/)
- [The flag of Australia](https://atoneplace.net/flag/australia/)
- [Airport codes in Australia](https://atoneplace.net/airport/in/australia/)
- [What airport is SYD?](https://atoneplace.net/airport/syd/)

## Sources

- OurAirports — OurAirports (https://ourairports.com/data/) [Public domain]