Revealed: Sydney Airport’s busiest day ever recorded

Sydney International Airport had its busiest day ever this Christmas break, smashing the previous record and boosting the state’s economy.

Exclusive: Sydney International Airport had its busiest day ever this Christmas break, smashing the previous record and boosting the state’s economy.

On December 22 — the Saturday before Christmas — a record 62,150 passengers passed through the airport’s international terminal (T1) — the busiest day since it opened in 1970.

This spike was 3.3 per cent up on the previous record, the equivalent Saturday before Christmas in 2017.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall hailed the massive numbers, saying the state was “in a golden era for tourism”.

“When you get a huge influx of visitors it drives the economy,” he told the Telegraph.

“There’s restaurants, cafes, bars, takeaways, hotels, petrol stations, retail outlets and countless visitor attractions that benefit.

“Tourism is all about encouraging people to see and experience more of our stunning state and ensuring they have a great time, but it’s also critical to sustaining business and creating new jobs, to ensure our communities thrive.”

December 22 was only the second day in history when more than 60,000 people, both arriving and departing combined, passed through the international airport.

NSW Minister for Tourism and Major Events Adam Marshall hailed the massive numbers, saying the state was “in a golden era for tourism”. Picture: Luke Drew

MORE NEWS

Happy campers settle in for Sydney’s biggest NYE ever

Opal Tower builder has 48 hours to satisfy inquiry

Crimes that horrified and intrigued a nation Part 1

December 21 was the busiest departing day on record, with 33,666 passengers and almost 38,000 outbound bags jetting out of Sydney for Christmas.

A spokeswoman said Sydney Airport has 47 airlines serving 56 international and 48 domestic destinations.

“A typical daily international service contributes an estimated $122 million a year to the NSW economy and generates an estimated 1,300 direct and indirect jobs in the state,” she said.

Mr Marshall also said a low Australian dollar made travelling to the country more affordable to foreigners.

“Last year saw new air services or more flights from countries like China, Vietnam, Japan, the UAE and the US,” he said.

In the last 12 months, 37 million domestic and international overnight visitors to NSW spent a record $30.3 billion in NSW during their stay. Picture: Jenny Evans

“New services can take a while to fill up, the marketing programs take a while to kick in and we’re probably seeing that catch up now, on top of it being one of the busiest times of the year.

“Summer is one of the best times to visit NSW, there’s so much going on in terms of New Year’s Eve and major events, it’s a peak time for tourism.”

In the last 12 months, 37 million domestic and international overnight visitors to NSW spent a record $30.3 billion in NSW during their stay — a growth of 11 per cent on the previous year.

Melanie and James Breslin travelled with their six-month-old daughter Isla Louise from Brisbane to Sydney on December 22 on their way to meet family for Christmas.

“Airport was pleasantly surprisingly relaxed, running on time at Sydney but was delayed in Brisbane due to storms,” the couple said.

“We always travel this time of year … except we were lucky enough to enjoy taking our 6 month old daughter on the journey this year.”

A low Australian dollar made travelling to the country more affordable to foreigners. Picture: Chris Pavlich