Sydney Airport Parking

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) is also known colloquially as Kingsford Smith Airport or Mascot Airport. SYD is by far the busiest airport in Australia, offering flights to 43 global and 46 domestic destinations.

Sydney Airport also serves as a hub for cargo flights within Australia and across the world. It served 41.8 million passengers in 2016.

Location of Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is in the suburb of Mascot, six miles (nine kilometres) to the south of the city centre. As you might expect for such a popular airport, SYD is easy to reach from all directions. It’s close to the suburbs of Canterbury, Rockdale, Huntsville, Revesby, La Perouse and Marouba, as well as Botany Bay, which sits right on the edge of the airport.

It takes no more than 30 minutes to reach the airport from the city centre by car and trains and buses run regularly from the airport to the city and its many suburbs. The Route 400 bus runs both east and west of the airport, making it reachable from Bondi Junction and Burwood.

History of Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is one of the longest-running airports in the world. Its story began in 1919, when the Australian Aircraft and Engineering Company leased land in Mascot with a view to building a new aerodrome. The first flight took place in November of its first year.

By 1925, the federal government had taken control of the airport. Also by this time, SYD was serving as a base for flights to and from Melbourne in Victoria and Adelaide in South Australia. Extensive work was carried out in the 1940s to add a new passenger terminal, while the mouth of the Cook River was diverted to accommodate two new runways.

Extensions in the early-to-mid-1960s led to a much larger north-south runway. The construction of the International Terminal in 1970 allowed the airport to accommodate jumbo jets for the first time. Further extensions to the north-south runway in the 1970s made it one of the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The Australian Government sold the airport to commercial third parties in 2002. SYD is now under the sole management of the Sydney Airport Corporation Limited. Development plans include the addition of a high-rise office block, more parking bays and continued terminal expansion.

Which terminal?

There are three terminals at Sydney Airport. Terminal 1 (T1) is known as the International Terminal, but is also the base for Qantas Domestic flights.

Terminal 2 (T2) is known as the Domestic Terminal. It is a hub for interstate and regional flights from the likes of Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Australian Air Express. Terminal 3 (T3) is solely a base for interstate Qantas flights.

The airlines currently offering public flights to and from Sydney Airport can be found on the Sydney Airport website.

As a guest in the largest city in Australia, you‘re spoiled for choice when it comes to places to stay in and around SYD. Here is a quick guide to three of the most popular hotels located close to Sydney Airport.

Rydges Sydney Airport is a high-class, modern hotel, just five minutes’ drive from Terminal 1. It features luxury rooms and suites with comfortable beds, minibars, free WiFi and a huge 42-inch flat-screen TV. While all rooms at Rydges are of a good standard, you can upgrade yours to take advantage of a private terrace for the ultimate in sophistication and relaxation. There’s also a plush grill restaurant, a sports bar, a vibrant café and even a gym. Rydges also provides a free shuttle bus to the airport. Parking is available at extra cost to all guests. At the other end of the scale is ibis Budget Sydney Airport. This economy hotel is pretty bare in terms of amenities, with no restaurants, bars or gyms. However, each air-conditioned room comes with a flat-screen TV and Internet access for a surcharge. You’ll find a desk in your room, which is great if you need to get on with some work before you settle down for the night. Use of the breakfast bar, a shuttle service and parking are also available at extra cost. Ibis Budget is a six-minute walk to and from Sydney Airport.

Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport is an upscale hotel that overlooks SYD. It takes just 12 minutes to walk from the Stamford Plaza to the airport. The lavish rooms come with free WiFi, flat-screen TVs and desks. There are also minibars and all the equipment you need to make a cup of tea or coffee. Each suite features a separate lounge area and room service is available around the clock, so when you need a bite to eat at any time of day or night, you’ll never be left feeling hungry.

You can also eat gourmet food at the on-site Argentinian restaurant at Stamford Plaza or catch the latest match in the relaxing sports bar. If all that isn’t enough, you can also catch up with colleagues and hold meetings in the hotel’s business centre. Both self-parking and valet-parking options are available to guests. It takes just six minutes to drive from the Stamford Plaza to SYD Terminal 1.

Sydney Airport has a large number of shops. These include huge duty free areas, convenience stores and designer clothes outlets. You’ll also find a choice of places to eat, including snack bars, fast food and world food joints and even gourmet restaurants run by famous Australian chefs.

Whether you want to sit back and blow off steam, grab a bite to eat or pick up some essentials in time for your flight, SYD provides everything you’d expect from a major global airport.

• Short-term parking

• Long-term parking

• Budget parking options

• Domestic parking

• International parking

• Pick-up and drop-off zones

• Valet parking service

• Transfers

• Information desk

• Shopping

  • High-street brands

  • Newspapers and magazines

  • Books

  • Convenience food

  • Duty free

  • Designer goods

  • Footwear and sports fashion

  • Electronic travel gadgets

  • Travel clothing and accessories

  • Health and beauty

• Food

  • Fast food

  • Cafés

  • World food

  • Gourmet restaurants

• Drinks

  • Bars

  • Coffee shops

• Toilets

• Baby-change facilities

• Currency exchange

• Executive lounges

• Children’s play area

• Trolleys

• Hotels

Grab a souvenir of Sydney and Australia

If there’s one thing that Sydney Airport isn’t short of, it’s things to remind you of your time in Australia.

Shops like Australian Way, Think Sydney, Think Australia and A Little Something all offer a host of high-quality, Australian-made items that are a million miles from the tacky kangaroo t-shirts or koala keyrings you find in a lot of souvenir shops.

Australian Way and the 'Think…' stores focus on high-end Australian clothing. A Little Something and Produce by Around Australia offer gourmet foods, wines, champagnes and more. Whether you want souvenirs to remind you of your time down under or you’re looking for gifts to give friends and family, Sydney Airport ticks the boxes.

Get a glimpse of indigenous culture

If you have time, it’s always worth visiting the fantastic Aboriginal art galleries dotted around Sydney. But if you’re stuck in the airport or you simply haven’t had time to explore what the city has to offer, The Rainbow Serpent may have the answer.

The gallery showcases a wide range of work from artists in the local community. You’ll find everything from painted silk and wood sculptures to boomerangs and didgeridoos. All of this draws a fascinating picture of ancient local culture.

Find designer bargains

The Heinemann Tax & Duty Free store offers over 28,000 products at knock-down prices. In terms of beers, wines and sweets, you’ll find a host of familiar and exclusive names at this store.

You can also choose from a massive range of items from the world of fashion. These include designer-brand cosmetics, fragrances, sunglasses, watches, jewellery and more. Brands include Jimmy Choo, MCM, Montblanc, Fendi, to name a few.

Enjoy the taste of Southeast Asia

Sydney Airport has a large number of restaurants, ranging from cheap fast food to gourmet delights. During your time at SYD, you can try food from Japan, China, Italy and Hong Kong.

Celebrity cook, Wolfgang Puck, has his own bistro at the airport, while cult chef and wholefoods champion, Mike McEnearney, also brings his classic wood-fired chicken to SYD at Kitchen by Mike.

Even the burgers are gourmet at Sydney Airport. At Benny Burger, Shannon Bennett serves up her familiar brand of creative dining that has influenced chefs across Australia and around the world

Buy Italian designer clothes

Sydney Airport’s Terminal 1 is home to an outlet for luxury Italian fashion house, Max Mara. In keeping with its location in a busy airport, the Max Mara store sells a range of high-end travel accessories and essentials. These include sunglasses, scarves, wallets and jewellery.

In fact, you’ll find stores bearing the names of 13 designer brands within the international terminal. These include Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co. and Kate Spade New York. These stores give you plenty of options if you need to look the part in time for a meeting or if you just want to travel in style.

Wine, dine or get down to business

There are a number of business lounges throughout Sydney Airport where you’ll be treated to free WiFi, a light buffet and, in some cases, an à la carte menu. The Emirates Lounge, for example, has its own separate bar, dining room, bath and shower room, prayer room and children’s play area. There’s also a business centre for when it’s time to stop relaxing and get down to business.

Research the airport and plan your trip

Sydney is very busy and very big, so a little research will go a long way to helping you find your way to the correct terminal in time for your flight. The SYD website provides interactive maps of its three terminals (T1, T2, and T3) to make your visit easy.

Check-in no later than two hours before your flight

In most cases, you can check-in three hours before your flight and Sydney Airport recommends that you arrive no later than two hours before take-off. This ensures you’ll have enough time for check-in, security screening and border controls. It also allows extra time in case of any unexpected delays.

There are dedicated smoking areas

The state of New South Wales prohibits smoking within 13 feet (four metres) of the building. For your comfort, though, Sydney Airport has outdoor smoking areas. There are plenty of signs around each terminal to help you find your way to a nearby smoking area.

There are height restrictions in the car parks

The P7 multi-storey car park does not allow vehicles over 7 feet and 2.5 inches tall (2.2 metres) inside. The P9 parking area has a height restriction of 11 feet five inches (3.5 metres). For more information, go the International Car Park page or Domestic Car Park page on the SYD website.

Trolleys cost money on the landside end of security

Airside luggage trolleys at Sydney Airport are free to use as you can almost always pick one up that another user has left. If you pick up an unused trolley landside, however, you’ll have to pay for it.