Sydney Airport ready and raring for bumper Easter period

Sydney Airport is set to be at its busiest since 2019 with 2.5 million passengers forecast to pass through terminals during the peak Easter holiday season from 3 April to 23 April.

This represents a 90 per cent recovery compared to the equivalent 21-day Easter holiday peak in 2019, and a 34 per cent increase on passenger volumes during the 2022 Easter holiday period. Domestic passengers are expected to surpass the 1.5 million mark, a 94 per cent recovery on the equivalent 21-day period in 2019, and 9 per cent increase on the same period in 2022.

On the international side, more than 850,000 passengers are forecast to pass through the T1 international terminal during this period, an 85 per cent recovery on 2019 volumes, and a 126 per cent increase on the same period in 2022.

“We are ready and excited this Easter school holidays to welcome the largest number of passengers we’ve seen since Christmas 2019,” CEO, Sydney Airport, Geoff Culbert, said.

“Despite the steep airfares, it’s clear that many Australians are prioritising an Easter holiday.

“The ongoing momentum in the international recovery is also exciting, with international passenger volumes forecast to be more than double what they were during Easter 2022.

“Across markets like India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Canada we will have more airline capacity in April than we did at any point in 2019. This demonstrates Sydney’s enduring popularity as a destination and the impact of our joint commitment with the NSW Government to the Aviation Attraction Fund.”

Brisbane is also bracing for a busy holiday period, preparing for nearly 1.5 million passengers to travel through the airport, an increase of 13 per cent on last year.

Crowd of people waiting for check-in. (iStock – baona)

Sydney Airport has also updated the general guidance for domestic travellers, reflecting the ongoing recovery across the aviation workforce.

Passengers are advised to arrive one hour prior to departure if they only have hand-luggage, and 2 hours prior if they’re checking in bags. International passengers should continue to arrive 3 hours prior to departure unless their airlines say otherwise.

Since April 2022, the advice was for all domestic passengers had been to arrive 2 hours early. The guidance was put in place due to significant labour shortages across the entire aviation industry.

With the 800 organisations at Sydney Airport approaching their pre-COVID employment levels of 33,000 workers, operational performance has significantly improved.

Over the busy December-January school holiday period, 95 per cent of domestic passengers cleared security within 5 minutes, with the remaining 5 per cent processed in less than 15 minutes.

“It has been a mammoth job to build back and train the workforce and we’re really happy to be getting back towards the level of service our passengers expect,” COO, Sydney Airport, Sidone Thomas, said.

“Our advice to people travelling through Sydney Airport is to plan ahead to help their holiday go smoothly. If you’re parking at the terminals, ensure you book ahead to guarantee your spot and get the best deal.”

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easter Geoff Culbert Sidone Thomas sydney airport