Sydney Airport passengers up for H1 2026 despite Middle East disruption
Sydney Airport passenger volumes remained ahead of 2025 levels for the first half of the year, with more than 20. 7 million passengers travelling through the airport despite Middle East disruptions. …
Sydney Airport passenger volumes remained ahead of 2025 levels for the first half of the year, with more than 20. 7 million passengers travelling through the airport despite Middle East disruptions. Sydney Airport welcomed 9. 96 million passengers in Q2 of 2026, down just 0. 7 per cent on the same period in 2025. Growth across Asia helped offset the impact of Middle East disruption as travellers looked to alternate 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. 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. “While conflict in the Middle East affected travel patterns during the quarter, demand for travel to and from Sydney remained resilient,” Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton said. Expanding alternate routesGrowth across Asia 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. “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,” Charlton said. Operational performanceAt 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. “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,” Charlton said. “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. ”SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR FREESign up to receive a subscription to the Travel Weekly daily email newsletter