Heading away for the NSW and Victorian school holidays? Here’s what you need to know before you go to Sydney and Melbourne airports for the upcoming mid-semester break as the major hubs gear up for the passenger onslaught.
With Queensland school holidays wrapping this weekend and Victoria, NT and WA already underway, it’s NSW, ACT, Tasmania and SA’s turn to set off for the semester break.
Both Sydney and Melbourne airports will add extra customer service, security and cleaning staff to help provide a seamless travel experience over the school holidays.
SYD’s bumper September holidays
Sydney Airport expects 2.5 million passengers through its terminals from 23 September to 13 October 2024 – an increase of 200,000 more travellers than last year’s September holidays.
Of this, one million pax are forecast to travel overseas with the remaining 1.5 million flying domestically.
Sydney Airport’s busiest day for domestic travel is expected to be Friday 27 September with more than 80,000 passengers.
For international travel, Saturday 28 September is forecast to be the hub’s busiest day with 52,000 passengers set to travel through the airport.
Domestic travellers with carry-on only are advised to arrive at SYD one hour before departure, while those checking in bags should leave at least two hours.
Passengers travelling via the international terminal should arrive three hours before departure and can take advantage of new smoother Uber transits.
In addition, travellers from the western suburbs can use the new roads leading into the airport via the Sydney Gateway, which opened on 1 September.
More in MEL
Meanwhile, Melbourne Airport expects a bumper crowd to descend on the city this weekend for the AFL Grand Final and school holiday period with preparations to receive more than 1.7 million pax over the next two weeks.
Melbourne Airport will be busier on Grand Final Friday (27 September) than the MCG on Grand Final Day with more than 114,000 passengers expected through the terminals and extra VA and QF flights to get fans to the big event.
As MEL is currently upgrading its terminal road network, the airport recommends allowing an extra 30 minutes of travel time due to construction over the school holidays.
To ease congestion, Centre Road will be closed inbound to travellers from Sunbury Road on Monday from 7-10am and Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 6- 9pm.
The airport advises pax to use the Terminal 4 Car Park and drop-off and pick-up zone where possible to avoid congestion during the school holidays.
