Arrivals Sydney airport

Nearly forty million passengers are expected to visit the SYD yearly. This number is currently on the rise, especially as most airports continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic that caused a worldwide flight ban.

If you are soon to arrive at Sydney Airport, it may be beneficial for you to find out exactly what you will be expecting there. This airport is perhaps the largest in the region, and it might be easy to get intimidated by the large terminals and the rules.

However, the layout of the SYD is quite simplistic and logical. Sydney Airport is comprised of three different terminals. Each one of these terminals serves certain airlines.
For instance, the first terminal operates almost all of the international flights that arrive at the airport. This explains why it is also known as the international terminal.

The second terminal operates domestic and regional flights, and it is the hub of Virgin Australia. The third terminal also operates domestic and regional flights, and it is the hub of Qantas Airlines.

With this in mind, it already makes a little sense as to which terminal you should expect to find your flight arriving at.

Sydney arrival airport terminals

The Sydney international arrivals should expect to arrive at the first terminal. This first level of the terminal is the floor that accommodates for these passengers, giving them access to passport control, baggage claim, and eventually, ground transportation.

The flight arrivals Sydney domestic passengers should expect to arrive at either the second or the third terminal.

Meanwhile, the ground floors of the second and the third terminals are the ones that welcome the flights arriving in Sydney Airport. And just as with the first terminal, these floors give the arriving passengers access to passport control, baggage claim, and ground transportation.

Arrivals Sydney International Airport – information for transiting passengers

A significant portion of the airport arrivals Sydney International are transiting passengers. And depending on their next destination, these passengers often need to transfer between different terminals.

As mentioned earlier, each terminal is dedicated to a set of airlines. And so, if your next flight is operated by a different airline, or your next destination is international, you are probably looking for the best ways to get to your next terminal.

There is no one best method to transfer between terminals. There are many options to choose from, and it mostly depends on how much time you have, whether or not you are willing to pay for the transfer, and which mode of transportation is the most convenient for you.

The domestic terminals, the second and the third, are located close together. They are located close enough that it is possible to walk between them in under ten minutes.

The narrative changes when your transfer includes coming to or leaving the first terminal. Your options include the free airport shuttle that takes around ten minutes per ride, the train that can get you to your destination in under two minutes but will cost you a bit, as well as other options like the public bus and even taxi services.