Australia’s Sydney Airport has announced that construction will begin on the A$200m (US$127m) upgrade to the T2 domestic terminal on May 1, 2025. The project aims to get passengers from curb to gate in 15 minutes.
The upgrades, first revealed in November 2024, are designed to improve the experience for passengers, with new technology and facilities set to speed up check-in and security processing.
Key features of the upgrade include self-service check-in kiosks and advanced bag-drop systems, which will increase baggage processing rates by 300 bags per hour.
Security upgrades
New security technology and scanners will allow passengers to leave laptops and aerosols in their hand luggage, and will almost double the capacity of each security lane from 235 to 500 passengers an hour.
Accessibility will be improved, with dedicated security lanes for families and passengers who require special assistance, along with new elevators post-security for better access to food courts and lounges.
Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport‘s CEO, said the airport has made great progress on security recently, with all passengers clearing processing in less than 10 minutes. He acknowledged, however, that the bottleneck at check-in can sometimes add 30 or 40 minutes. The additional kiosks and new automated bag drops are intended to streamline the check-in process.
“The upgrade will be phased, with security set for completion by the end of the year and check-in works to be finished in late 2026,” Charlton said. “This means that for the next 18 months the journey through T2 will be a little different from what passengers are used to, and we encourage everyone to allow themselves plenty of time to get to the airport.” Additional staff will be on hand to assist passengers during this time.
To facilitate construction, Rex Airlines and Fly Pelican departures will relocate to the T3 domestic terminal from April 8. Jetstar check-in facilities will also be temporarily relocated by April 28 to share the space currently used by Virgin Australia.
Read more about the Sydney T2 overhaul here.