Sydney Airport (SYD) Information

(Sydney, New South Wales - NSW, Australia)

Established in the early 1920s and based alongside Botany Bay, the city's airport soon grew into a substantial aerodrome, with commercial flights quite literally 'taking off' over subsequent decades. Today, Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) handles more than 30 million passengers every single year, with roughly two-thirds of these passengers being domestic.

In total, there are around 300,000 annual flights, which between them serve in the region of 50 domestic destinations, whilst also connecting various international cities within other continents. Currently the busiest air facility in the entire country, Sydney Airport functions as a major hub for Qantas Airways, as well as both Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD)

Address: Sydney Airports Corporation Limited, Mascot, New South Wales (NSW), 1460, Australia
Tel: +61 (0)2 9667 9111
The city's airport is located just 9 km / 6 miles to the south of central Sydney, being based alongside the suburbs of Arncliffe, Botany, Kyeemagh, Pagewood and St. Peters. The Southern Cross Drive (Freeway 1) heads into the city centre, towards Potts Point.

Sydney Airport Guide

Terminals

Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport has three large terminals, serving a number of national and international airlines. These include Aerolineas Argentinas, Air New Zealand, British Airways, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Jetstar, Qantas / QantasLink, Regional Express Airlines, Thai Airways International, Tiger Airways Australia, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Australia.

• T1 International Terminal - serves both domestic Australian and international airlines
• T1 Level 1 - with the Golden Lounge on Pier C, which is for passengers only
• T1 Level 2 - with the Sakura Lounge, Executive Lounge, the Red Carpet Club, the First Class Lounge and the Southern Cross Lounge, all on Pier C, for passengers only
• T1 Level 3 - with the Qantas Club on Pier B, the Silver Kris Lounge and the Air New Zealand Lounge on Pier C, all for passengers only
• T2 Domestic Terminal - serves domestic Australian and international airlines
• T3 Qantas Terminal - serves Qantas

Facilities:

• Travelex foreign currency exchange
• 24-hour cash machines (ANZ Bank) and postal facilities
• Numerous cafés, fast-food outlets and bars, such as Asakaze, the Bambini Wine Room, Bar Ristretto, the Boost Juice Bar, the Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar, the Danks Street Depot, Gloria Jean's Coffees, Itacho Sushi, Italian Bite, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, the Montreux Jazz Cafe, the Seafood Bar, the Tap House, Taste of Thai and the Trattoria Prego
• More than 100 shops including SYD Airport Tax and Duty Free, the Australian Way, Beach Culture, Burberry, BillaBong, Emporio Armani, Global Rags, Hub Convenience, the Lonely Planet Store, Opal Fields, Relay, Rolling Luggage, Thomas Sabo, Tigerlily, WHSmith and Witchery
• Car hire companies - including Avis, Budget, Hertz, Europcar, Redspot and Thrifty Car Rental
• Business facilities are available at the Terminal 1 Departures Lounge, with work stations, telephones, Internet access, fax machines and sizeable meeting rooms
• Short-term parking is available for around 2,000 cars, with direct access to the Domestic and International terminals
• Long-term economy parking is located close by and a regular courtesy shuttle bus is available
• Business and conference facilities include office equipment, work areas, computers, free access to the Internet, overhead projectors, white boards, telephones, photocopying, audio-visual equipment, mobile phone rental, meeting rooms and conference capabilities for up to 1,000 guests
• Special facilities for disabled passengers
• Other facilities include a pharmacy and medical centre, several children's activity areas, a children's cinema close to the immigration area, smoking areas, baby changing rooms, a left luggage service, numerous luggage trolleys, Travel Concierge, Vodafone outlets and general visitor assistance

Cars

The Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport offers good onward road connections, which head out in all directions and link nearby Hurstville and Kirrawee (south), Padstow and Moorebank (west), and Drummoyne, Crows Nest and North Ryde (north). Those driving into the city centre itself will find that the M1 motorway (Southern Cross Drive) provides the quickest connection, while those looking to drive into south-western Sydney should note that the M5 Motorway is the way to go.

The airport itself is encircled by a busy ring road, which is made up of roads such as the General Holmes Drive, Marsh Street and Qantas Drive, as well as the M5 Motorway (East).

Book your Sydney Car Rental here.

Trains

The Airport and East Hills railway line provides a convenient underground connection to the airport, belonging to the Cityrail suburban network. The onsite railway stations are to be found beneath the International Terminal and also beneath the car park (in between the Domestic Terminals). 'Gate fees' are applicable upon entrance, with this amount being deducted from the overall price of any train tickets subsequently purchased. Those heading into the city centre by rail will be pleased to learn that this journey takes just 13 minutes, with trains departing roughly every ten minutes or thereabouts.

Buses

Operated by the State Transit Authority of New South Wales, Sydney's international airport (SYD) is served by numerous public buses, which travel on a daily basis between the hours of 05:00 and 23:00. Bus route no. 400 connects the train stations of Burwood and Bondi, collecting passengers from the domestic and international terminals.

Private shuttles present a popular alternative for those planning a journey to the Blue Mountains and the Sutherland Shire area, as well as along the coastline.

Shuttle Buses

Various shuttles are operated by both Kingsford Smith Transport and Sydney Airporter. These shuttle buses travel to many of the hotels in central Sydney, as well as those based within the Kings Cross and Harbour areas of the city. When booking your hotel, it is worth asking whether or not a complimentary shuttle will be available for pick-ups and drop-offs.

Taxis and Limos

A large number of airport taxis are based here, being situated outside of each of the terminal buildings, in specific taxi rank areas. Curbside supervisors ensure that all runs smoothly and can provide assistance where necessary. Popular taxi destinations include the city centre and northern Sydney, as well as Cronulla, Liverpool, Manly and Parramatta.

Taxi companies operating here include Legion Cabs, Premier Cabs, RSL Ex-Servicemen's, Silver Service and St. George's. If you would rather splash out on a limo, then head to International Arrivals, where the reservation desk of Royal Limousines is based.