Monday 3 August 2026
- Sydney Airport welcomed 9.96 million passengers in Q2 2026, with more than 20.7 million passengers travelling through the airport in the first half of the year.
- Passenger volumes remained ahead of 2025 levels in the first half of the year, reflecting resilient demand for travel to and from Sydney.
- Growth across Asia helped offset the impact of Middle East disruption, reflecting the diversity of Sydney Airport's international network.
Sydney Airport welcomed almost 10 million passengers in Q2 2026, down just 0.7 percent on the same period in 2025 with the impact of the Middle East disruption offset by passengers exploring Asian routes as a gateway to Europe.
Passenger volumes for the first six months of 2026 were 1.5 percent higher than the same period last year, reflecting continued demand for travel to and from Sydney and the strength of the airport's international network. International passenger traffic increased 2.1 percent to 8.44 million passengers, while domestic passenger traffic grew 1.0 percent to 12.29 million passengers.
Growth across Asia helping offset softer demand on some Europe-bound routes via the Middle East. Guangzhou recorded the strongest destination growth during the quarter, increasing 50.5 percent on the same period last year, while Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur both grew by more than 14 percent.
Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo also continued to perform strongly, demonstrating the breadth of demand across Sydney Airport's key Asian markets.
Domestic passenger traffic remained in line with last year, with 6.09 million passengers travelling through the T2 and T3 terminals. International passenger traffic reached 3.87 million passengers during the quarter.
The results highlight the resilience of demand for travel to and from Sydney and the benefits of a diverse mix of destinations and airline services. When disruption affects one region, passengers and airlines have access to a range of alternative destinations and connections, helping maintain Sydney’s position as Australia’s leading international gateway.
Operational performance
Sydney Airport continued to deliver strong operational outcomes during the quarter, with security screening performance, immigration processing and on-time performance remaining at high levels.
At the domestic terminals, all passengers cleared security within 10 minutes, compared with 99.5 percent in Q2 2025. At the T1 International terminal, 99.9 percent of passengers cleared security within 10 minutes, up from 99.7 percent in Q2 2025.
Inbound immigration processing also improved, with 90 percent of arriving passengers clearing immigration within 32 minutes, compared with 34 minutes in Q2 2025. Departure
on-time performance was broadly in line with the same period last year, with domestic performance increasing slightly to 81.6 percent, while international performance was 72.9 percent.
Kerbside drop-off performance at the domestic terminals remained strong, with most drop-offs occurring within 10 minutes. At the international precinct, kerbside performance remained below prior-year levels, and Sydney Airport continues to review options to improve access and manage congestion.
Key developments during the quarter
Major upgrades at the T2 Domestic terminal continued throughout the quarter, with all seven new CT-enabled security screening lanes now operational and additional self-service check-in and automatic bag drop technology rolled out to support faster passenger processing. Fifteen self-service check-in kiosks and 16 automatic bag drops have now been installed as part of the terminal transformation program.
Future connectivity was also strengthened, with STARLUX Airlines announcing new direct services between Sydney and Taipei from 2027. The new route will provide passengers with more choice and connectivity across Asia and beyond.
Passenger experience improvements continued across the airport, including the launch of Fast Track at T1 International and the appointment of Travelex as Sydney Airport's new foreign exchange partner.
Retail investment also continued during the quarter, with preparations progressing for the opening of The Rocks dining precinct at T2 Domestic and a major travel essentials RFP designed to enhance the experience for international passengers.
CEO Comments
Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said: “While conflict in the Middle East affected travel patterns during the quarter, demand for travel to and from Sydney remained resilient.
“Growth across Asia helped offset the impact of Middle East disruption, with strong performance across destinations including Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Seoul and Tokyo.
“The diversity of destinations served from Sydney Airport is one of our greatest strengths. When conditions change in one part of the world, passengers and airlines have options across a broad range of markets and connections.
“With more than 20.7 million passengers travelling through the airport in the first half of the year, demand remains ahead of 2025 levels and reinforces Sydney Airport’s role as Australia’s busiest international gateway.
“We also continued to improve the passenger experience during the quarter, with further upgrades across Terminal 2, strong operational performance, and new airline and commercial partnerships helping improve choice and connectivity for travellers.”
Passenger and operational performance data
Click here for the Q2 passenger and performance data.