Wednesday 12 March 2025

• Construction on $200 million T2 domestic terminal upgrade to begin 1 May 2025
• Improved check-in, faster security, and upgraded facilities to transform passenger experience
• Rex and Fly Pelican passengers will depart from Terminal 3 from 8 April 2025

Construction will begin on 1 May 2025 on Sydney Airport’s $200 million upgrade to the T2 domestic terminal, with the upgrade aimed at getting passengers from kerb to gate in 15 minutes.

The highly anticipated 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.

This marks the first major renovation in more than 30 years at Australia’s busiest domestic terminal, which serves 17 million passengers every year.

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.

New next-generation security technology and state-of-the-art scanners 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.

Accessibility will be improved with dedicated security lanes for family and assistance passengers, along with new lifts post-security for better access to food courts and lounges.

Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, said: “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.

“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 checkin process and, once complete, our aim is for passengers to get from kerb to gate within 15 minutes.

“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. 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.

"We’re putting on extra staff to help passengers and we want to thank everyone in advance for their patience as we carry out these important upgrades to deliver a faster and more seamless travel experience.”

To facilitate construction, Rex Airlines and Fly Pelican departures will relocate to the T3 domestic terminal from 8 April 2025. Jetstar check-in facilities will also be temporarily relocated by 28 April 2025 to share the space currently utilised by Virgin Australia.

Click here for a preview of the upcoming changes, video fly-through of the soon-to-be upgraded T2 domestic terminal.

Notes to Editor

Key Upgrades to T2 Domestic:

• Modernised check-in hall with the latest technology to speed up passenger processing
• Increased baggage capacity from 1,500 to 1,800 bags per hour by 2026
• More self-service kiosks and bag drop options for faster check-in
• Streamlined security with state-of-the-art scanners that allow passengers to keep laptops and aerosols in their carry-on luggage
• Dedicated lanes for family and assistance passengers
• New lifts post-security for better access to food courts and lounges
• New security lanes that will process 500 passengers per hour – a 113 percent increase compared to current throughput

About T2 Domestic:

• Built in the 1990s to accommodate 8 million passengers, T2 now hosts Virgin Australia, Jetstar, and regional airlines and now serves more than 17 million passengers annually
• If T2 were a standalone airport, it would be the fourth largest in Australia