N E S W 171°
16 / 34
RWY 16/34
HDG 171°
LEN 11,998 ft
Melbourne International Airport

Runway 16 at YMML

Runway 16/34 at Melbourne International Airport (YMML) in Melbourne is a 11,998 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 171°/351°. The runway is 197 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 2,843 landings and 889 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.4°, touchdowns averaging 629 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 141 kt, a 1.1 kt average crosswind component, a 1.2 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
3732 Operations
889 Deps / 2843 Arrs

Runway 16/34 at Melbourne International Airport (YMML) in Melbourne is a 11,998 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 171°/351°. The runway is 197 ft wide. SkyMeter has observed 2,843 landings and 889 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around (1 events). Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.4°, touchdowns averaging 629 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 141 kt, a 1.1 kt average crosswind component, a 1.2 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

2,843 landings observed on Runway 16 in the last 30 days, alongside 889 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 08:00 with 22 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 629 ft from the threshold on Runway 16.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at YMML have prevailed from the north (0°), accounting for roughly 25% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 9.9 kt with peak gusts to 48 kt. Strong winds (≥20 kt) occur on about 6% of observations — pilots flying into runway 16 should plan for occasional gusty conditions.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 1.1 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 16 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.4° on Runway 16, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 16 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.4°
Avg touchdown GS
141 kts
Avg touchdown zone
629 ft
Avg headwind
1.2 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

07:00 1 landings
08:00 22 landings
09:00 21 landings
10:00 6 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 16 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Go-Around Analysis

A go-around occurs when a pilot aborts a landing attempt and initiates a climb to return for another approach. While go-arounds are a normal safety procedure, their frequency and causes provide insight into operational challenges at specific runways. Runway 16 experienced go-arounds in 0.0% of arrivals over the last 30 days (1 events of 2844 attempts).

Recent Go-Around Events

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2026-08-24 15:32
Other

These events represent normal safety procedures and do not indicate operational deficiencies.

Go-Around Causes Distribution

Other 1 events (100%)

Environmental factors dominate go-around causes, indicating that operational procedures remain sound.

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 16 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

07:00
160° at 7 kts, gusting 0 kts
7 kts
08:00
130° at 5 kts, gusting 2 kts
5 kts
09:00
20° at 2 kts, gusting 2 kts
2 kts
10:00
21° at 2 kts, gusting 2 kts
2 kts
METAR
340° at 11 kts, gusting 0 kts
11 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
171°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 3732 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.