2.1 million passengers forecast to pass through Sydney Airport during July school holiday period
Forecast includes more than 1.5 million domestic passengers and 560,000 international passengers
In May 2022 total passenger traffic recovered to 69% of pre-COVID levels
New York: Sydney Airport forecasts show 2.1 million passengers will be welcomed from Monday 27 June to Sunday 17 July, a period which accounts for both NSW public and private school holidays.
By contrast, 1.8 million passengers came through Sydney Airport during the equivalent 21-day school holiday period in April, from Monday 4 April to Sunday 24 April.
The July school holiday forecast indicates more than 1.5 million domestic passengers will pass through the terminals over three weeks from Monday 27 June, compared to 1.39 million from the 4th to 24th of April.
Internationally, more than 560,000 passengers are forecast for the July school holidays, compared to 376,000 international passengers during the equivalent three-week period in April.
Sydney Airport on Tuesday (Jun 21) also released its passenger traffic performance for May, showing total passenger traffic recovering to 69% of pre-COVID levels.
Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said: “Our forecast shows the July school holidays are going to be even busier than what we saw in April.
“It’s terrific to see the ongoing demand for air travel but we won’t sugar-coat the fact that the terminals will be busy during the school holidays, and there will be queues.
“We are doing everything we can to get people on their way, including bringing an additional 60 customer service staff into the terminals every day to help manage queues and bring passengers forward in order of flight priority.
“The root cause of these challenges is that every business at the airport is rebuilding its workforce and doing it in the tightest jobs market in nearly half a century.
“We want to thank passengers in advance for their patience and reassure them that if they get to the airport at the advised time, we will be doing our utmost to get everyone on their flight.”
Passenger traffic continued its recovery in May
Total passenger traffic in May 2022 was 2,415,000 passengers, down 31.2% from the corresponding period in 2019.
Domestic passenger traffic totalled 1,832,651 in May 2022, down 17.3% from the corresponding period in 2019.
582,442 international passengers passed through Sydney Airport in May 2022, down 55% from the corresponding period in 2019.
Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert said: “The May passenger traffic data confirms the ongoing recovery of Australian aviation, which is a relief to everyone in the industry.
“Our continued focus will be on meeting this demand and getting passengers on their way safely.”
