15 minutes from curbside to the airport gate. That’s the goal that Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) is aiming for with its Terminal 2 (Domestic) upgrade.
The construction project, which is estimated to cost AU 200 million ($126 million), is set to commence on May 1, 2025.
𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝟮 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱!✨
A $200 million upgrade is set to begin on 1 May 2025, designed to get passengers from kerb to gate in just 15 minutes.
New check-in kiosks, automated bag drops and state-of-the art security technology will boost… pic.twitter.com/OUCcf1LlpP
— Sydney Airport (@SydneyAirport) March 11, 2025
This marks the first major renovation in more than 30 years at Australia’s busiest domestic terminal, which serves 17 million passengers every year.
The highly-anticipated upgrades aim to bring improved check-in, faster security, and upgraded facilities to transform passenger experience.
Key features of the upgrade include self-service check-in kiosks and advanced bag drop systems, which SYD Airport said will increase baggage processing rates by 300 bags per hour.
The upgrade will also see the installation of next-generation security technology and state-of-the-art scanners that will allow passengers to leave laptops and aerosols in their hand luggage and almost double the capacity of each security lane from 235 to 500 passengers an hour.
“The upgrades we’re making at the T2 domestic terminal will significantly improve the experience for the 17 million people who use T2 every year and position us for future growth,” Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO said in a statement.
“We’ve made great progress on security recently, with all passengers clearing processing in less than 10 minutes, but the bottleneck at check-in can sometimes add 30 to 40 minutes. More kiosks and new automated bag drops will streamline the check in process and, once complete, our aim is for passengers to get from kerb to gate within 15 minutes,” Charlton added.
Chalrton also said that the upgrades will be done in phases, with security set for completion by the end of 2025, and check-in works to be finished in late 2026.
“This means that for the next 18 months the journey through T2 will be a little different to what passengers are used to, and we encourage everyone to allow themselves plenty of time to get to the airport,” Charlton further said.
To facilitate the construction and ensure smooth operations, Rex Airlines and Fly Pelican departures will relocate to the T3 domestic terminal starting April 8, 2025. Jetstar check-in facilities will also be temporarily relocated by April 28,2025 to share the space currently used by Virgin Australia.
