Sydney Airport to welcome a whopping 2.5 million passengers this Easter

Sydney Airport is bracing for an onslaught of 2.5 million passengers (think: about 25 football stadiums, each with a capacity of 100,000 each) over the Easter holidays. But airport authorities say they are prepped and ready. 

Australia is going hopping mad for travel this Easter, and Sydney Airport is bracing itself for a return to the kind of numbers not seen since 2019.

In what's looking like being the biggest Easter for international travel since the pandemic, Sydney airport is preparing itself for a monster-load of suitcase-wheelers to swing through its doors come holiday time.

With 2.5 million  passengers set to travel through the airport's terminals from Wednesday 9 to Tuesday 29 April it's going to be busier than Wynyard train station at 8:38am on a Tuesday.

During the peak, 1 million passengers will pass through the international terminal - a 9 per cent increase on the same time last year.   

Domestically, 1.5 million passengers are expected to travel, which is more than 3 per cent up on the numbers seen in 2024. 

Aussies are going hopping mad for travel this Easter

All up, this is a projected 130,000 more passengers than last year; so a 5 percent increase overall during the same 21-day April school holiday period in 2024.  

What does this mean for travellers? First of all: allow extra time to get through security (though not too much, lest you screw things up for those with an earlier flight than you).

Arrive one hour (maybe an hour and ten minutes) prior to your flight for a domestic journey if you're travelling with carry on luggage only, two hours prior to your flight if you're travelling domestically and checking luggage in, and three hours prior to your flight for an international journey. Oh, and if you're driving, make sure you book a car space. 

If you're thinking of booking a last minute Easter trip (and, as we revealed last week, there are plenty of cool places still available should you wish to do so), avoid travelling through Sydney Airport's domestic terminals on Thursday April 17, as this is set to be the busiest day of travel domestically, with 85,000 passengers expected.

See also: The ultimate airport survival guide

As for overseas jaunts, don't fly on Friday April 18 if you can help it, with a bumper 53,000 passengers due to descend upon the airport's security scanners and overpriced coffee purveyors that day. 

To reduce the potential for giant queues, Sydney Airport has put on extra staff and will redirect vehicles to arrival levels during peak periods.

There will also be chocolate  giveaways, Easter displays, and interactive photo opportunities throughout all terminals.

Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said the airport has a plan to deal with the forecasted numbers

Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said the airport is ready for the onslaught: “To make the journey smoother we recommend passengers plan ahead: check-in online, pre-book  parking, and allow plenty of time to get to the airport."

"Over the past six months, we've achieved a  99 per cent success rate in getting passengers through security in under 10 minutes, and we're  committed to maintaining that efficiency during the holidays."

He also said the increased volume of passengers reflects the new services and increased capacity from airlines which has been steadily increasing the last few years, and that to keep up with this the airport is investing in improving everything from the terminals to the airfield.

See also: A cheaper way to get to Europe? Turkish Airlines inaugural flight lands in Sydney

One example of this is the screening upgrades at the T1 International airport, where work is due to be finished at the end of the year to create 15 new screening lanes, which use advanced technology that doesn't need you to take your liquids and aerosols out of your bags - something that the airport says will increase "throughput" from 4,500 to 5,850 per hour. 

Over on the T2 domestic terminal, from May 1,  a $200 million upgrade including self-service check in kiosks and advanced bag drop systems will begin, with the aim of getting passengers from kerb to gate in 15 minutes. There will also be an upgrade to security systems to speed this element of the journey too. 

Got all that? Good. Now all you need to do is read up on our how to survive the airport at Easter and our tips on getting through airports faster and you're good to go.

Originally published as Sydney Airport to welcome a whopping 2.5 million passengers this Easter