Sydney Airport

Overview:

Sydney Airport (IATA code: SYD, ICAO code: YSSY), is an international airport in Sydney, Australia, located 8 km (5 miles) south from the central Sydney business district km, in the suburb of Mascot. The airport is owned by Sydney Airport Holdings and it is the primary airport serving Sydney. SYD also acts as a primary hub for Qantas airways, as well as a secondary hub for Virgin Australia and Jetstar. Situated near Botany Bay, the airport has a total of three runways.

Quick Summary:

● Sydney Airport (IATA code: SYD, ICAO: YSSY) is an international airport just outside of the Sydney’s central business district in the suburb of Mascot, Australia.

● SYD has a total of three runways and serves domestic and international flights around the world.

● In 1936, the airport was named Sydney Airport (Kingsford Smith) in honour of pioneering Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

Geography:

Lihue Airport is situated about 8 km (5 miles) south from the central Sydney business district with coordinates 33° 56′ 46″ N, 151° 10′ 58″ W. It has an elevation of 6 m (21 m) above mean sea level.

History:

The land used for the airport was previously an ox pen, with much of the area around the mascot being marshy. Flights had flown from these areas since at least 1911, with airmen using the bay a few years earlier at other locations in Sydney, such as Anderson Park. Nigel Love, who had been a pilot in World War I, wanted to start the country's first aircraft manufacturing company. The idea would require them to set up a factory and an airfield near the city.

Love established Mascot Airport as a private venture, eventually leasing 80 hectares (200 acres) to the Kensington Race Club for three years. Initially, it had a small canvas structure that was later fitted with an imported Richards hanger. The first flight from Mascot was in November 1919 when Love carried independent film photographer Billy Marshall to Avro.

In 1921, the Commonwealth Government purchased 65 hectares (161 acres) from Mascot for the purpose of establishing a public airfield. In 1923, when Love's three-year lease expired, the mascot's land was compulsorily acquired from the Racing Club by the Commonwealth Government. Regular flights from the airport began in 1924.

In 1933, gravel tracks were built. By 1949, the airport had three runways – 11/29 (1,085 m (3,560 ft)), 16/34 (1,190 m (3,904 ft)), and 04/22 (1,787 m (5,863 ft)).

In 1947–52 the Cooks River was diverted from the area to provide more land for the airport, while other smaller streams were filled in. Sydney Airport was declared an airport in 1920. On August 14, 1936, the airport was renamed Sydney Airport (Kingsford Smith) in honour of pioneering Australian aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

By the 1960s the need for a new international terminal had become apparent and work on this began in late 1966.

The new terminal was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on May 3, 1970. The east–west runway was 2,500 metres (8,300 ft) long. In the 1970s, the north–south runway was extended and became one of the longest runways in the Southern Hemisphere. The international terminal was also expanded in 1992 and has undergone several renovations since, including a major one in early 2000 at the time of the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The airport has undergone another project development that began in 2010 to expand the transit area which has brought new duty-free facilities, shops and leisure areas for passengers.

Facility and Operations:

Terminal 1:

Terminal 1 opened on May 3, 1970. It served to replace the former Overseas Passenger Terminal. It has since been greatly expanded. Today it is known as the International Terminal, and is located in the northwest area of the airport. It has 25 gates, with numbers 8-37 in Concourse B and numbers 50-63 in Concourse C. Concourse B is used by Qantas, all Oneworld members, and all SkyTeam members, with the exception of Delta Air Lines. Concourse C is used by Virgin Australia and its affiliates (including Delta), as well as all Star-Alliance members. There are also several remote bays that are used to park idle aircraft during peak periods during the day.

The terminal building is divided into three levels, with one for arrivals, one for departures and one for airline offices. The departure level has 20 rows of check-in counters, each with 10 single counters, making a total of 200 check-in counters. The terminal has eight airline lounges.

Terminal 1 underwent a major $500 million redevelopment that was completed in 2010. The renovations were focused on expanding the shopping complex, centralising outbound customs operations, and increasing the terminal's floor area to 254,000 square metres (2,730,000 sq ft). Further construction began in 2015 with the restructuring and delamination of the outbound and inbound duty-free areas, the expansion of airside dining facilities and the installation of Australian Border Force outbound immigration smartgates. This work was completed in 2016.

Terminal 2:

Terminal 2 is located in the airport's north-eastern section, and was the former home of Ansett Australia's domestic operations. It has 16 parking bays served by aerobridges along with several remote bays for regional aircraft. It serves FlyPelican, Jetstar, Regional Express Airlines, and Virgin Australia. There are lounges for Regional Express Airlines and Virgin Australia.

Terminal 3:

Terminal 3 serves domestic flights. Qantas and QantasLink flights moved their operations from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 on 16 August 2013.Originally, it was home for Trans Australia Airlines (later renamed Australian Airlines). It is located in the north-eastern section. 

The terminal features a 60-metre roof span above a new column-free check-in hall with a total terminal footprint to 80,000 square metres. There are 14 parking bays served by aerobridges, including two served by dual aerobridges.

Terminal 3 houses a large Qantas Club lounge, along with dedicated Business Class and Chairmans lounges.