But the DFO that the plane hit and an adjacent retail centre will remain shut indefinitely.

Essendon Fields chief executive Chris Cowan said that the airport was remaining shut on Wednesday "out of respect for the victims and their families of yesterday's tragic accident".

He said that, following talks with the Australian Transport Safety Bureau and other authorities, Essendon Airport would re-open on Thursday at 6am.

The Essendon DFO and the adjacent Homemaker Centre would "remain closed until further notice while investigations continue", he said.

"Essendon Fields will continue to work closely with authorities and investigators and will provide further updates as information becomes available," Mr Cowan said.

Angus McNaughton, chief executive, Vicinity Centres, the group that owns the Essendon DFO, said it was "inappropriate" to comment on who would provide compensation for the forced closure, given investigations were still continuing.

Mr McNaughton said the centre would be closed "until further notice".

"Damage has been limited to one store and the centre's storage area at the back of the site," he said.

"Vicinity Centres is consulting with authorities, engineers and other experts to determine the most appropriate time to reopen the centre."

Adrian Catalano, operations manager at Adriatic Furniture, one of the retailers at the Essendon DFO, said they hadn't been inside to assess the damage.

He said they didn't know when they might be able to reopen the store.

"Understand it is still under the control of police," Mr Catalano said.

"We don't know if we have been affected. We are right next door to Focus [On Furniture] ... which was hit ... we are preparing that we will have some damage. But I don't want to speculate."

He said it was too early to say who would be responsible for compensating for the damage.

"We have to speak to our insurance company," he said.

Mr Catalano said the outlet had been at the DFO for at least 10 years and most staff were long-standing.

He said the staff were on their way to the store when the plane crashed.

"They obviously saddened by the event ... but they are okay," Mr Catalano said.

"I think they are feeling a little bit lucky that they weren't actually there.

"We are here to support them. We have offered them counselling, but none of them have taken it up."

He said he was confident things would return to normal soon.

"Generally, we think, it is a very safe centre," Mr Catalano said.

"The airport has been there for a long while. I think people will go back to their normal way of lives once the centre reopens.

"It was a freak, tragic accident."

The Tullamarine Freeway near the centre re-opened on Tuesday, and on Wednesday afternoon was flowing freely.