Sydney Airport expects 2.67 million travellers to pass through its three terminals between 21 September and 11 October, according to figures released by Destination NSW on 18 September. The busiest single day is forecast for 2 October, when 94,000 domestic passengers are projected. International volumes are also trending higher as airlines ramp up capacity to North America and Southeast Asia. Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said additional security lanes, reinstated duty-free outlets and a new kerbside traffic-management system would help absorb the surge. The airport has been working with the Australian Border Force and airlines to stagger departure waves and ensure SmartGate kiosks are fully staffed—a priority after this week’s national e-gate outage. For corporates, the spike means longer dwell times, higher car-parking demand and possible congestion on the M5 and M8 motorways that feed the airport precinct. Travel-management companies are advising executives to arrive at least three hours before international flights and to use priority-lane products where available. The spring rush comes against a backdrop of continued recovery: Sydney handled 2.5 million passengers during the same holiday period last year and expects to surpass pre-pandemic traffic by 2027. Tourism bodies view the numbers as evidence of strong demand for both inbound and outbound travel, bolstering confidence in hotel and conference bookings for Q4 2026.
Source: Destination NSW
