Sydney Airport to add up to 14 international gates under plans for major expansion

Alsharq Tribune-Gina Issa

Sydney Airport has announced it will add up to 14 new international gates by 2045 under plans for its biggest expansion since 2000.

The airport, which is the busiest in Australia, on Monday released its draft Master Plan for 2045, setting out plans for its biggest terminal expansion since the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Under the plan, the existing T2 and T3 domestic terminals would be linked to create a new precinct that would deliver up to 12 new international gates and bring regional, domestic and international services under one roof.

Two additional gates would be added to the T1 international terminal.

"The proposed major terminal expansion joining the T2 and T3 Terminals will be the most significant development at Sydney Airport since the Olympics, and will unlock greater capacity across all terminals, more efficient use of our runways, and ultimately get passengers from the ground and into the air more quickly," Scott Charlton, chief executive officer of Sydney Airport, said in a statement.

According to the master plan, Sydney Airport is expected to welcome over 72 million passengers every year by 2045, an increase of 75 percent from current levels.

International passengers as a proportion of the airport's total passenger volume are expected to increase from under 40 percent currently to 50.4 percent by 2045.

Air freight volumes are also forecast to more than double to 1.4 million tons annually by 2045 and the airport is expected to support more than 105,000 direct jobs.

Charlton said that the airport is committed to managing aircraft noise and taking steps to reduce its emissions' footprint.