With winter school holidays already underway in Queensland and NT with other states and territories to follow, Australia’s busiest airports are bracing for a bumper crowd as travellers embark on winter escapes across the three-week break.
Sydney Airport is forecasting around 2.6 million passengers, Melbourne Airport expects almost two million travellers and Brisbane Airport is gearing up to welcome 2.78 million through its terminals.
All hubs advise passengers to arrive early – at least two hours for domestic travel if checking luggage and three hours before international departures – as Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne airports all undergo major terminal or carpark upgrades.
Sydney Airport – winter school holidays 2025
Sydney Airport is preparing for a July holiday passenger record of 2.59 million passengers between 30 June and 20 July 2025 with the hub’s busiest day expected on 4 July.
International travel is leading the growth with 1.05 million passengers expected through the T1 International terminal, a nine per cent increase on the same period in 2024, making it the busiest winter school holiday travel period in the airport’s history.
On the domestic front, 1.54 million passengers are forecast to travel through the T2 and T3 Domestic terminals, up four per cent on 2024.
Overall passenger numbers are up six per cent compared to the same 21-day period in 2024, with 150,000 more travellers expected this year – enough to fill 850 Boeing 737 aircraft.
Sydney Airport is seeing a preference for warmer destinations this winter with strong passenger uptake on new and expanded services to Hong Kong, Istanbul and Vietnam.
Melbourne Airport – winter school holidays 2025
Melbourne Airport expects to welcome almost two million passengers (1,927,927 to be precise) from 4–21 July 2025, a five per cent increase on the same period last year.
The airport will welcome an AFL Grand Final crowd every day of the holidays with a daily average of 107,000 passengers. The busiest day is expected to be Friday, 11 July with more than 118,000 passengers forecast.
These numbers include a total of 647,927 international and 1,280,000 domestic passengers.
Like their Sydney counterparts, Melbourne passengers are also escaping the cold and chasing the sun with South-East Asian destinations trending these holidays.
Brisbane Airport – winter school holidays 2025
BNE is forecasting the biggest winter break boost of all as thousands of British and Irish Lions supporters flock to the Sunshine State.
Brisbane Airport forecasts 2.78 million passengers will pass through its domestic and international terminals during the June/July school holiday period, representing a 1.4 per cent increase in domestic and 18.4 per cent growth in international passengers, compared to the same period last year.
The busiest day is expected to be Friday, 18 July with a projected 82,400 passengers across both terminals, a figure that may equal or surpass the airport’s record for daily passenger numbers.
With lots of people on the move, the cute and popular Brisbane Airport therapy puppies will be in the terminal at various times during the school holiday period.
