Sydney Airport is experiencing its busiest September school holiday period for international travel, with 1.08 million passengers forecast through the T1 International terminal between this week and Sunday, October 12, 2025.
This represents a 7% increase on 2024, and the highest number of international passengers ever recorded for a September peak.
On the domestic front, 1.62 million passengers are expected to travel through the T2 and T3 terminals, up 3% on last year. Combined, almost 2.7 million passengers will pass through the airport during the three-week period, 113,000 more than 2024.
The busiest day for international travel is forecast to be Saturday, September 27, with more than 55,000 passengers expected.
With the AFL and NRL Grand Finals falling in the September peak, footy fans are expected to join holidaymakers in adding to the buzz across the terminals. Friday, October 3 is forecast to be the busiest domestic day, with close to 90,000 passengers as families and fans take off for the long weekend.
Top destinations this spring include Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, while international travel is strongest to New Zealand, the United States and China, with many passengers connecting through hubs like Singapore to reach Asia and Europe.
In preparation, Sydney Airport is boosting staffing across all terminals. For drop-offs some vehicles may be directed to the arrivals level during the peak times to improve traffic flow. Passengers can then access the departures level via lifts and escalators.
Photo by Greg Fonne.
Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said: “This is shaping up to be our busiest September holiday period for international travel, and we’re well prepared to welcome 2.7 million passengers across our three terminals.
“With international demand stronger than ever, and domestic travel continuing to grow, we’re focused on making sure every journey is smooth. We thank passengers for their patience as we deliver major upgrades, from faster security at T1 and T2 and new dining options at T3.”
Upgrades across the terminals
At T1 International, eleven of 15 new CT security lanes are already in use, with the full rollout due by November. Once complete, the upgrade will boost screening capacity by almost 30% and allow passengers to keep laptops, liquids and aerosols in their carry-on bags.
Installation of next generation checked baggage screening equipment is also underway across T1, T2 and T3, boosting security and capacity ahead of the summer peak.
At T2 Domestic, the A$200 million upgrade is progressing, with the first two new security screening lanes set to open on Friday October 10, in time for the final weekend of the school holidays.
Recent improvements include two new escalators and a partial staircase post-security, which opened in July. Work is also underway on four new lifts that will improve accessibility between check-in, concourse and arrivals.
The upgrade will deliver new security lanes, check-in kiosks and bag drop systems designed to more than double capacity and make the passenger journey faster and easier.
At T3 Domestic, works are underway on a major dining upgrade, with new options set to open from late 2025. Headlining the line-up is Icebergs, bringing a coastal Italian menu inspired by the iconic Bondi venue.
Icebergs will be joined by LouLou, Maggio’s and Lotus Dumpling Bar, alongside local favourites RaRa, Tres Tacos and Stitch Coffee. Together, they will deliver Sydney Airport’s most ambitious terminal dining upgrade yet.