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Melbourne Airport (MEL) unveiled an A$4.5 billion ($3.2 billion) plan to expand its international terminal.

Preliminary work on the first stage of overhauling MEL’s 20-gate Terminal 2, which handles international flights, will begin later this year. The expansion “will be delivered over several years,” the airport said. MEL said the project will be privately financed.

The Terminal 2 upgrade will see five new international gates built, according to the airport. Five new aircraft stands will be added capable of accommodating five widebodies or eight narrowbodies.

Plans include building an expanded check-in hall with “high-tech, common user baggage facilities,” MEL said, adding the terminal’s footprint will grow “with improved waiting areas, lounge facilities and retail offerings.”

The airport will increase the terminal’s baggage claim area, add baggage carousels and increase space for border agencies.

MEL CEO Lorie Argus said the expanded international terminal will complement the airport’s third runway, which is scheduled to become operational in 2031.

“Increased capacity on our airfield and terminals will allow airlines to schedule more flights to more places,” she added. “We’ve spent several months working collaboratively with the airlines to ensure these plans meet their needs.”

Argus recently said the airport is in the “final stages” of commissioning a new A$500 million international baggage system. “When it opens it will more than double the capacity of our existing outbound system,” she said.

The airport handled 1.26 million international passengers in January and expects demand for international services to grow.

Delta Air Lines earlier this month announced it would start 3X-weekly flights between MEL and Los Angeles from Dec. 3 using a 275-seat Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

According to the airport, the top five countries for MEL's international visitor numbers for January were: China (59,000 visitors), New Zealand (57,000), India (29,000), the UK (23,000) and the U.S. (18,000).