• Qantas-Emirates-A380-Sydney-Stunt-Getty

    Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport

    IATA/ICAO Code:
    SYD/YSSY

    Country:
    Australia

    CEO:
    Geoff Culbert

    Passenger Count :
    44,446,838 (2019)

    Runways :
    07/25 – 2,530m (8,300ft) |
    16L/34R – 2,438m (8,000ft) |
    16R/34L – 3,962m (13,000ft)

    Terminals:
    Terminal 1 |
    Terminal 2 |
    Terminal 3

Summary

  • Sydney Airport has three unconnected terminals, making transfers awkward and time-consuming.
  • Domestic-to-domestic terminal connections take an hour; international-to-domestic require two hours.
  • Transfer options include buses, trains, and the $8.50 Airport Link service.

In most large international airports, terminals and concourses are connected via buses or trains running inside to facilitate transiting passengers. This is not the case at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), which has three unconnected terminals serving domestic or international flights. Passengers must transfer and connect between terminals. This article examines the time it takes to connect at one of Australia’s major airports.

The layout of the airport

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport used to be an old paddock and horse racing track (hence why the area was initially called Ascot and later renamed Mascot). History lesson aside, the airport has slowly expanded in a relatively ad-hoc pattern, with terminal buildings built where they would fit.

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Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock

The advantage of this is that the airport has always remained super close to the city (Sydney’s central business district is only a 15-minute train ride from the arrival area). Still, it does mean that connecting through the various terminals is relatively awkward.

Sydney has three main terminals.

  • Terminal 1 – International flights
  • Terminal 2 – Domestic terminal for airlines such as Jetstar and Virgin Australia.
  • Terminal 3 – Domestic terminal exclusively for Qantas.

Terminal 1 is located to the south of the airport, while Terminals 2 and 3 are next to each other to the north. A runway separates them, and two motorways connect the terminals around the airport’s perimeter.

Sydney Airport Map

Photo: Sydney Airport

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How do you get between terminals?

There are many ways to travel between the three terminals. The most common transfer is between the international terminal (T1) and domestic terminals (T2+T3), but we will first cover the inter-terminal domestic connection.

Transferring between the two domestic terminals (T2 and T3) is easy; a small walkway links them. If you are arriving via the terminal airside and need to transfer, you must collect your bags and proceed through security at the other terminal.

Sydney Airport Qantas Terminal

Connecting to the international terminal is more complicated, but several options exist. There is a shuttle bus linking T1 with T2 and T3, respectively, but you will need to clear immigration and customs first before moving to the transfer. Qantas and Virgin Australia offer bus transfers, but you must have the right ticket with their airline (or partners) to board.

Shuttle bus

Landside, there is a free shuttle bus linking all three terminals that operates every thirty minutes (which may not be very practical) or the metro train that connects the two terminals (which is faster but costs more). The “T-Bus” service schedule is as follows:

  • First bus: Departs T1 and T2/T3 terminals at 05:30.
  • Last bus: Departs T1 and T2/T3 terminals at 21:30.
  • Trip Duration: 10 minutes

Sydney Airport states the following about its train service:

“The Airport Link is a train service that runs between the T1 international and T2/T3 domestic terminals. Frequent services run between 5am and midnight, 7 days a week. The trip takes 2 minutes and costs $8.50 one way (peak) and $7.30 (off-peak), per person using an Opal card. Pricing varies depending on payment method.”

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Sydney Buses Route 420 Bus

Sydney Airport states as follows:

“Sydney Buses Route 420 runs between the T1 international and T2/T2 domestic terminals. Look for bus stops on Arrivals level outside each terminal. The fare is approximately $1.60 off-peak or $3.20 one way per person. Visit Transport NSW website for the latest information.”

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How long does it take to connect?

Domestic to domestic terminals will take approximately one hour. This involves disembarking from the aircraft, transferring to the other terminal, and clearing security. It is relatively painless. International to domestic, or vice versa, will take longer. You will need at least two hours to move between the terminals for international connections.

Virgin Australia aircraft parked at Sydney Airport SYD shutterstock_192358655

Photo: Peter Gudella | Shutterstock

For those arriving internationally and connecting to a domestic flight:

  • You will need to clear customs and immigration, which can take upwards of an hour if busy.
  • You will need to transfer on the airside bus, which can take ten minutes when it arrives.
  • If you choose to connect on the ground side, you must take the free shuttle bus (up to 30 minutes) or the train (five minutes). Note that the train costs money, and a station access fee applies to both stations.
  • You can also take a taxi for around AUS $17-$22 between the two terminals.
  • Or you can walk, but walking will be alongside a major road (to the north, the highway to the south is inaccessible for pedestrians) and will take you over an hour. But it does take you under a flight path for those keen plane watchers. This way is not practical.

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Sydney Airport has plenty of options to facilitate connecting flights and shouldn’t be intimidating for newcomers. Be sure to leave at least two hours for international connections, and you will be able to connect between each terminal.

Despite being the subject of mistaken identity over the years, the airport is still the busiest airport in Australia. With the country relaxing its entry requirements after two years of passenger downturn, recovery is underway. Local and international airlines have been ramping up operations to the site amid high hopes for this next chapter.

What do you think? Have you connected through Sydney? In the comments, let us know what you think of the airport.

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