Sydney Airport security overhaul to fast-track passengers from kerbside to airside

‘No pain, no gain’. Sydney Airport is about to embark on a major overhaul of its T2 terminal — for the greater good of passengers.

Sydney Airport has put travellers on notice as a major overhaul of the T2 terminal — housing Virgin Australia and Jetstar — will start in 2025 and take almost two years to complete, with the reward being passengers will no longer have to remove laptops from bags in security.

The $200m project, which will ultimately be paid for by airline passengers, promises to modernise the 30-year old terminal and reduce time spent in security and bag drop queues.

Next-generation technology and state-of-the-art scanners will mean travellers are spared the rigmarole of dragging laptops and liquids out of bags for screening, increasing the throughput rate of each lane to 500 people per hour, up from 235.

At the same time, new bag drop technology will allow up to 1800 bags per hour to be processed, 300 more than current capacity.

The security upgrades are due for completion by the end of 2025, and the entire project by late 2026, in changes which should reduce the time from kerbside to airside to just 15 minutes for 95 per cent of passengers.

Sydney Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said once finished, the overhaul would make the T2 experience one of the fastest and most efficient in Australia.

“These upgrades will not only transform security performance but will also support future demand, ensuring that Australia's busiest airport terminal can accommodate the significant growth in passenger numbers we’re forecasting,” Mr Charlton said.

“While we understand that the upgrade works may cause temporary disruption, we want to

thank passengers and our airline partners for their patience and understanding during this

important transformation. We’re working hard to minimise any inconvenience and ensure the

terminal remains operational throughout the process.”

Next-generation security technology at Sydney Airport will be rolled out in T1 and T2 in the next year, speeding up the processing of passengers. Picture: Supplied

Virgin Australia and Jetstar indicated they would work closely with Sydney Airport to ensure minimal disruption to customers during the works.

Airlines for Australia and New Zealand chairman Graeme Samuel was less diplomatic, saying airports needed to consult more broadly with their major customers before undertaking such large-scale projects.

“The scale of disruption can be quite significant,” said Professor Samuel.

“If your usual entrance or exit is closed, you’ve got to go around the long way and it’s those things that cause the disruption, and as much as you’d like to think the airports do their best to minimise that, we’ve always had the impression the consultation doesn’t go that far.”

He said the other concern for airlines was the cost, which would ultimately be raised through landing charges and terminal leasing fees, leaving carriers with no option but to collect from passengers.

“It’s the age old problem that we’ve been talking about for some time now — to what extent are airlines involved in the efficiency of the infrastructure build, and the truth is, to almost no extent at all,” Professor Samuel said.

Security upgrades are also planned for the T1 international terminal by the end of 2025 to comply with federal government-mandated requirements.

This will see 15 new screening lanes added, featuring advanced CT scanning technology to allow passengers to leave liquids and aerosols in their hand language.

As a result, screening capacity will increase almost 30 per cent, boosting passenger throughput to 5850 an hour, up from 4500.

In addition, a remodelling of the departures security layout will move security screening ahead of passport control, creating more than 300 sqm of new retail space.

Sydney Airport is also investing in additional e-gate kiosks, which the Australian Border Force will operate, in a further effort to improve the passenger experience and enhance operational efficiency.