Sydney Airport Traffic and Operational Performance Q4 2025

Wednesday 4 February 2025

• Sydney Airport recorded its busiest year on record for international travel with a total 17.17 million passengers in 2025.
• More than 42.54 million passengers travelled through Sydney Airport in 2025.
• The airport recorded its busiest quarter on record for international travel in Q4 with a total 4.62 million passengers.

Sydney Airport recorded its busiest year ever for international travel in 2025 with 17.17 million passengers flying in and out of T1 International terminal.

The airport also recorded its busiest quarter on record for international travel, with more than 4.62 million passengers travelling through the terminal in the final quarter (October to December), a 5.9% increase on 2024.

Domestic and regional passenger numbers increased 2.1 percent compared with the same period last year, with 6.79 million passengers travelling through T2 and T3.

Together, these results capped a strong quarter for the airport, with 11.41 million passengers travelling through Sydney Airport between October and December.

In total, more than 42.54 million passengers travelled through the airport in 2025, up 2.7 percent on 2024.

__International passenger and network growth __

International travel continued to accelerate in 2025 as global demand strengthened and Sydney maintained its role as Australia's primary international gateway. This momentum was supported by growing airline capacity and sustained investment across the precinct to enhance efficiency, competition and passenger experience.

Outbound travel by Australians remained steady compared with the same period last year, while inbound travel from key international markets strengthened as airlines launched new routes and increased services between Sydney and the Middle East, Europe, China, Southeast Asia and North America.

Growth from China was particularly strong, with Chinese passport holders increasing 12.2 percent compared with Q4, 2024. This was supported by additional capacity between Sydney and China, including China Southern Airlines' announcement of a record expansion of its Sydney-Guangzhou services to three daily flights year-round - the highest frequency ever operated on the route.

Arrivals by South Korean passport holders rose 15.3 percent, while travel from Japan and the United Kingdom also increased, up 8.3 percent and 7.4 percent respectively, reflecting ongoing demand across key North Asian and European markets.

Sydney Airport continued to work closely with the Federal Government throughout 2025 to advocate for policy and regulatory reform that supports productivity, resilience and long-term growth across the aviation sector.

This included engagement on priorities for the FY26-27 Federal Budget, with a focus on accelerated investment in border modernisation, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and expanding bilateral capacity arrangements with key growth markets.

The airport will continue this engagement in 2026, working with Government to jointly develop policy solutions that maximise the sector's contribution to the Australian economy and deliver productivity benefits.

Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, said: "2025 marked a record year of international passengers for Sydney Airport reflecting sustained demand for travel and Sydney's role as Australia's primary international gateway.

"International travel accelerated throughout the second half, with the final quarter of the year delivering the highest international passenger volumes of any quarter in 2025. This reflects the recovery of key inbound markets and the return of airline capacity.

"Importantly, we delivered this growth while maintaining strong operational performance during one of the busiest periods of the year. The opening of new security lanes at T1 and T2 is already improving the passenger experience, even as major construction continues across the precinct.

"Looking ahead to 2026, our focus is firmly on delivery as we progress our development program to add capacity and continue improving the passenger experience.

"This includes the completion of the $200 million T2 upgrade later in the year, the commencement of the T2/T3 Integrated Terminal expansion, and continued progress on our Master Plan review ahead of the final plan being published mid-year.

"These projects will ensure we are well positioned to meet future demand and deliver long-term benefits for passengers and airlines."

Operational performance

Operational performance remained strong throughout the quarter, with 99.8 percent of domestic passengers and 99.4 percent of international passengers clearing security in less than 10 minutes.

The commissioning of new security lanes at T1 and T2 in December supported improved international screening outcomes in Q4, with 99.4 percent of passengers clearing security within 10 minutes, up from 99.1 percent in Q3 2025.

Domestic security performance also remained strong through year-end, continuing the trend of 99 percent of passengers clearing processing in under 10 minutes.

Inbound immigration processing improved during the busiest quarter for international travel, with 90 percent of passengers clearing immigration within 34 minutes - an 8.1 percent improvement on the same period last year.

The installation of eight inbound kiosks at T1 throughout 2025 has supported improved inbound passenger processing times, with the remaining kiosks scheduled for installation in 2026 as part of the ongoing rollout.

On-time performance remained stable. While Q4 results were slightly below Q3 2025, performance improved compared to the same period in 2024, with year-to-date reliability remaining ahead. Kerbside drop-off performance at the domestic terminals continued to perform well, with most drop-offs occurring within 10 minutes.

At the international precinct, kerbside performance improved quarter on quarter, with fewer days exceeding the 10-minute target, although performance remains below 2024 levels and options to better manage congestion continue to be reviewed.

In November, Sydney Airport assumed operations of the transfer facility at T1 International, marking the first stage of a more streamlined and consolidated passenger transfer experience.

Now operating as SYD Transfer, the facility has reduced connection times to domestic flights, improved operational efficiency and enhanced the customer experience. Work will continue through 2026 to progressively consolidate all domestic transfer passengers within the facility.

Overall, operational performance was supported by a continued focus on service delivery, with frontline and operations teams working together to support a consistent and efficient passenger experience across the airport.

Infrastructure delivery and year-end milestones

During Q4, Sydney Airport reached key milestones across its multi-year capital investment program, with major upgrades delivered or commissioned across all terminals.

All 15 new security screening lanes at the T1 International terminal are now operational, delivering a faster and more consistent screening experience.

At Terminal 2, six of the seven new CT-enabled security lanes are operational, allowing passengers to keep laptops, liquids and aerosols in their carry-on bags.

Progress also continued on new self-service check-in kiosks and bag drop systems, with six automatic bag drops now operational, supporting the airport's commitment to reducing the journey from kerb to gate to around 15 minutes once complete.

Terminal 3 continued to elevate the domestic travel experience with a significant expansion of its food and beverage offering, welcoming premium dining concepts such as Maggio's, Icebergs, and Slim's Quality Burgers bringing Sydney's renowned hospitality to the terminal.

The refreshed offering marks the first phase of a broader transformation of the terminal, improving choice, quality, and amenities for passengers. Additional food and beverage brands will continue to roll out in the coming months, further strengthening the experience for passengers.

To support faster processing at Terminal 3, 12 new automatic bag drops are now operational, with the remaining 12 machines scheduled to be installed ahead of schedule pre-Easter.

In November, Sydney Airport welcomed the NSW Government's Renewable Fuel Strategy, which sets a clear pathway toward establishing a domestic sustainable aviation fuel industry in NSW.

In December, Sydney Airport announced a partnership with Taronga Conservation Society Australia to support large-scale habitat restoration in north-west NSW as the foundation partner of Taronga's Habitat Positive initiative. The 10-year collaboration advances Sydney Airport's sustainability strategy and Net Zero 2030 (Scope 1 and 2) target by delivering high-integrity conservation outcomes and long-term environmental value.

In addition, Sydney Airport launched a global tender to establish a panel of architectural and engineering partners to support its $6 billion capital works program over the next five years.

The tender was launched to support the delivery of major expansion of the T2/T3 terminal precinct and expansion of the T1 International Operations Precinct, meeting future demand and creating a smoother, more seamless travel experience for passengers.

1. Due to data availability, all international passenger numbers (including PCP, prior corresponding period comparisons) are based on Confirmed Airline Passenger (CAP) data. As per previous information releases, these figures may contain estimates with any adjustments to preliminary statistics included in the year-to-date results in future months
2. Includes Domestic-on-Carriage.
3. All data is for arriving and departing international passengers. All data is taken from management accounts, is provisional and subject to revision. All data has been rounded to the nearest thousand and in some instances the total may not be equal to the sum of the parts. Percentage changes have been calculated based on actual figures.
4. The percentage of flights which departed within 0-15 mins of the scheduled off block time. First departure for the day before 9am
5. The airside movement of an aircraft from the moment it touches down on the runway to arriving at the boarding gate.
6. The time it takes for 90% of passengers to clear immigration after they disembark from their flight.