Melbourne Airport would be linked to the city by a $1 billion monorail under a proposal by a tourism infrastructure entrepreneur.


The monorail would be built high above the Tullamarine Freeway and would connect the airport to either Southern Cross or Flinders Street station, News Corp Australia reports.


The plan is the brainchild of tourism infrastructure entrepreneur Peter O'Brien, who says it would be a high-tech alternative to a diesel train.


The monorail would be similar to one recently commissioned in Incheon, South Korea.


It would be driverless and virtually silent, the paper reports.


The Plenary Group has shown interest in the project and its founding principal, John O'Roarke, said the idea had merit.


"We are keen to explore the best ideas in the private sector to make unsolicited project submissions to the government," he told News Corp.


AAP