Sydney Airport has just closed its busiest international year on record, capped by the busiest international quarter the airport has ever handled.
That record landed against a year of higher airfares, tighter household budgets and ongoing geopolitical instability, proof that travel demand stayed strong despite the headwinds.
More than 4.62 million international passengers moved through the airport between October and December alone, pushing total international traffic for the year to 17.17 million. Overall passenger numbers reached 42.54 million across 2025, up 2.7 percent on the year before.
The lift was not driven by a single surge market or a short seasonal spike. Airline capacity returned across multiple regions and stayed in place, concentrating pressure across more of the calendar rather than just peak periods.
The record was not a one way surge
Domestic and regional passenger numbers rose 2.1 percent in the final quarter, with 6.79 million travellers moving through Terminals 2 and 3, while international passenger volumes reflected a combination of steady outbound travel by Australians and stronger inbound arrivals from key overseas markets.
China was the standout market. Passenger numbers from Chinese passport holders rose 12.2 percent compared with the same quarter in 2024, supported by additional lift and schedule depth. That included China Southern Airlines expanding its Sydney to Guangzhou route to three daily flights year round, the highest frequency the route has ever carried.
Arrivals from South Korea increased 15.3 percent year on year. Japan and the United Kingdom also recorded growth, up 8.3 percent and 7.4 percent respectively.
Nothing broke, even at record volume
The airport processed the record volumes without loosening operational benchmarks. During the final quarter, 99.4 percent of international passengers and 99.8 percent of domestic passengers cleared security in under 10 minutes.
Inbound immigration processing improved during the busiest period of the year, with 90 percent of international passengers clearing immigration within 34 minutes. That marked an 8.1 percent improvement on the same quarter last year, supported by the rollout of new inbound kiosks at the international terminal.
Kerbside congestion at the international precinct continued to fluctuate and remains below 2024 performance, although delays eased quarter on quarter. Domestic kerbside performance held within targets through year end.
The airport was already being rebuilt
Infrastructure delivery accelerated alongside the traffic. All 15 new security screening lanes at the international terminal are now operational. CT enabled security lanes at Terminal 2 are allowing passengers to keep laptops, liquids and aerosols in their carry on bags. Automatic bag drop systems continued to roll out across the domestic terminals, with further machines scheduled to be installed ahead of Easter.
Sydney Airport also assumed operations of the international transfer facility in November, now operating as SYD Transfer. The move has reduced domestic connection times and consolidated transfer flows, with further changes planned through 2026.
Bigger rebuilds are no longer optional
Longer term capacity pressure has pulled major development plans forward. Sydney Airport has appointed Grimshaw and Mott MacDonald as lead consultants for the Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 terminal link, a central project within its 6 billion dollar capital works program.
The appointment marks a shift away from project by project contracting towards long term framework partnerships as the airport builds towards its Master Plan forecast of 72 million passengers a year by 2045. Early design work, site surveys and risk planning are already underway, with up to 12 new swing gates planned to support both domestic and international operations.
KARRYON UNPACKS: Sydney Airport is now carrying sustained international volumes above previous peaks, compressing timelines for terminal expansion, processing upgrades and capacity delivery across the precinct.
