Sydney Airport has reported a robust performance in the third quarter of 2024, with a total of 10.3 million passengers passing through its terminals.
This represents a 3.3% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. It also marks a 92.5% recovery rate compared to Q3 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The airport’s international terminal, T1, saw 4 million passengers, a 5.8% increase on the same quarter in 2023 and a 95.7% recovery rate compared to Q3 2019.
Domestic and regional passenger traffic also showed positive signs, with 6.3 million passengers coming through the T2 and T3 domestic terminals. This is a 1.8% increase on the same period last year and a 90.5% recovery rate on Q3 2019.
Operational Performance
From an operational perspective, Sydney Airport performed strongly in Q3 2024, posting improvements across all operational metrics compared to the same period in the previous year.
Highlights included 100% of passengers passing through security in under 10 minutes. There were no instances where kerbside drop-off times at the domestic terminal exceeded 10 minutes.
The airport is also working closely with Australian Border Force to improve inbound border processing. As a result of this collaboration, Sydney Airport will purchase additional E-Gate kiosks, which the ABF will then operate. This is an example of industry and government working together to help streamline the passenger experience.
Changing International Demographic
Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, was pleased with the airport’s international passenger traffic. He highlighted the significant increase in airline seat capacity and the growth of certain nationalities, such as India, the Philippines, and South Korea.
In the case of South Korea, this nationality has increased by 54% compared to 2019. In Q3 2024 moved above the United Kingdom to become the airport’s 5th largest passenger group.
Charlton remains optimistic about the return of Chinese passengers as tour groups resume and new mainland China carriers like Juneyao Air join the airport before the end of the year.
He also expects existing carriers to boost their capacity, which should help the airport finish the year very close to pre-COVID levels of Chinese passengers.
Domestic Operations
Domestically, Charlton noted that performance remains impacted by a shift in discretionary business travel. However, the airport is focused on creating a faster and more efficient experience for passengers.
This includes consistently beating the 10-minute metric for kerbside drop-off times and security processing. To this end, the airport has launched kerbside wait times on its website, following the deployment of live security wait times back in May.
Providing real-time visibility into the airport’s operational performance is important in terms of passengers planning their trip. It gives them an accurate insight into what their experience will be like when they arrive.
The airport also announces the upcoming appointment of Paul Willis as the new Group Executive – Planning and Delivery. Willis joins from Manchester Airport Group (MAG), where he has spent the last nine years in various senior roles. he brings extensive aviation and airport experience ranging across planning, design, construction, commercial development, and operations.
Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, said: “Given the size and complexity of our capital program over the next five years, it’s important that we have someone with deep experience in the airport infrastructure space.”
“Paul brings significant experience in designing and delivering complex aviation capital programs, and we are looking forward to welcoming him in November.”
Overall, the strong performance in Q3 2024 and the strategic appointment of the new Group Executive demonstrate Sydney Airport’s commitment to enhancing the passenger experience and positioning the airport for continued success.
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