Sydney Airport has welcomed local institution Maggio’s in the first stage of its new dining precinct at the T3 domestic terminal as the NSW hub expects a bumper number of international travellers over the peak Christmas–New Year travel period.
Maggio’s, a chain of Italian pasticcerias and cafes from Sydney’s North Shore, marks the first of 14 brands to open as part of T3’s wider dining and retail redevelopment.
It will be joined by Icebergs, Slim’s Quality Burgers, Top Juice, Lotus Dumpling Bar, Sushi Platter, Taste of Thai and Expresso@T3 by the end of 2025.
Opening in early 2026, T3 domestic travellers can also look forward to Tres Tacos, RaRa Ramen, Loulou, Stitch Coffee, Inbound Cafe, Krispy Kreme and Azúcar, showcasing a diverse range of global cuisines and Sydney-based faves.
The expanded dining mix has been designed to cater to the needs of modern domestic travellers, from early-morning business passengers needing a quick caffeine hit to families wanting a more relaxed dining experience before their flight.
Sydney Airport’s Group Executive Commercial Mark Zaouk said: “Launching Maggio’s couldn’t come at a better time with the busy Christmas travel period about to begin.”
SYD’s busiest-ever international festive travel season
It’s shaping up to be the hub’s busiest-ever festive season for international travel with 2.7 million passengers expected, up 6.5 per cent on the same period in 2024.
Sydney Airport forecasts more than 5.84 million passengers will pass through its domestic and international terminals from 12 December 2025 to 26 January 2026, up three per cent on last year and driven by record international demand.
Domestically, 3.14 million passengers are expected across the T2 and T3 Domestic Terminals.
The peak day for domestic travel was Friday, 12 December with more than 80,500 passengers expected. International volumes will peak on Saturday, 3 January 2026 with more than 65,000 travellers expected.
Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said: “This holiday season will be our busiest ever internationally. The most popular destinations include New Zealand, China, the US, Singapore and the UAE with many passengers travelling to the Middle East or continuing on to Europe, Africa or Asia.”
“Many of the upgrades we started at the beginning of the year are now complete, including upgraded security screening at T1 and T2, added new automatic bag drops, lifts and escalators at T2 and improved precinct operations to support the higher number of travellers.”
For more info, head to sydneyairport.com.au
KARRYON UNPACKS: Sydney Airport’s new T3 dining precinct signals a more curated and passenger-focused domestic travel experience, while record festive travel volumes highlight the ongoing recovery and resilience of Australia’s aviation sector.
