Wednesday 13 December 2023

• New Uber pickup zone launching Thursday 21 December for T3 domestic passengers
• T2 passengers accessing Uber will continue to use existing Priority Pickup area
• Traffic into Priority Pickup area set to reduce by 35%
• No changes to taxi ranks or arrangements for other rideshare operators

Domestic passengers at Sydney Airport’s T3 domestic terminal will soon have a more convenient place to catch Uber rides, with a new Uber pickup zone set to be launched just in time for the Christmas school holiday travel season.

From Thursday 21 December, Uber riders will meet their driver at the kerbside outside Sydney Airport’s T3 domestic terminal.

Currently, passengers arriving at T3 domestic access Uber rides from the Priority Pickup area located between the T2 and T3 domestic terminals.

The new Uber pickup zone at T3 will improve the experience for all customers across the domestic precinct, with traffic entering the Priority Pickup area anticipated to decrease by 35 percent.

Passengers arriving in Sydney via the T2 terminal will continue to access Uber rides via the existing Priority Pickup area, and arrangements for dropping off passengers remains the same across all terminals.

Kenn Langcake, Sydney Airport’s Head of Commercial Transport, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Uber on this initiative just in time for Christmas, and give Uber riders what they’ve been asking for, which is a pickup zone closer to the T3 domestic terminal.

“Rideshare now accounts for nearly 40 percent of all pickups at the airport, up from just 7 percent in 2016, so it’s important that we continue to evolve our services in line with shifting passenger preferences.

“Longer-term, we would like to roll out a kerbside pickup zone at our T2 domestic terminal. In the meantime, T2 passengers accessing Uber rides via the existing Priority Pickup area should have a much better experience, with congestion in that area set to come down by more than a third. This is a great outcome in terms of efficiency and safety just in time for the Christmas school holiday peak.

“We also recognise that taxis remain a highly-valued part of the transport mix here at Sydney Airport so we are pleased that there are no changes to taxi ranks within the domestic precinct.”

Dom Taylor, Managing Director, Uber ANZ said: “We are thrilled to partner with Sydney Airport to provide a more seamless pickup experience that meets consumer preferences right at the kerbside at Terminal 3.

“Uber’s technology has proven to reduce wait times and congestion at airports around the world, so we’re excited to implement this at one of our busiest pickup points across Australia.

“We look forward to evolving our partnership with Sydney Airport to provide more innovative transport solutions across its terminals, as well as providing ease and convenience for those travelling through Sydney over the holidays.”

As a result of this change, T3 passengers being picked up by limousines and private hire cars from Monday 18 December will meet their vehicle and driver approximately 80 metres further east along Shiers Avenue, a one-minute walk from the existing location.

This new kerbside zone for limousines and private hire cars will have five bays and will be supplemented by an additional dedicated zone in the Priority Pickup area, where there will be a further four bays.

Passengers arriving at T3 domestic can continue to access other rideshare operators from the Priority Pickup area located between the T2 and T3 domestic terminals.

Additionally, all ground transport operators who have passengers with mobility needs or disabilities will be able to use any one of four accessible pickup spaces across the domestic precinct.

Note to Editors

Maps and graphics which depict this change can be accessed here.