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No more unpacking at airport security – big changes coming to all major Aussie airports

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy
Forget fumbling for laptops, liquids and aerosols – a smoother, smarter airport experience is on its way.

Australian travellers will soon glide through airport security without removing laptops or liquids, as part of a $2 billion national upgrade already transforming major Australian airports.

The federal government’s $2 billion national airport security upgrade is rolling out across the country, with Sydney Airport leading the charge. 11 of 15 new high-tech security lanes at Sydney’s T1 International Terminal are already online, doubling passenger throughput and allowing travellers to leave their devices and toiletries in their bags.

Sydney Airport security screening signs
The new security screening will allow travellers to leave items in their bags.

When completed, the overhaul will boost screening capacity by nearly 30 per cent, cutting queues and congestion for millions of domestic and international flyers.

The upgrade marks a major milestone in the way Australians move through airports. Advanced CT scanners and millimetre-wave body scanners will replace traditional X-ray systems, meaning no more unpacking electronics and less stop-and-start screening.

Brisbane Airport new CT security lanes
Brisbane has opened five new CT security lanes.

Brisbane Airport is following suit as part of its Domestic Terminal Transformation program, with five new CT lanes opening on 28 October, allowing the items to remain in travellers’ bags. The same technology will be introduced to its International Terminal by the end of 2025.

“The fact that passengers will be able to leave laptops and aerosols in their bags will make a real difference and remove one of the biggest frustrations for frequent travellers," Brisbane Airport head of terminal operations Stacey Pollard said.

Sydney’s $200 million Terminal 2 redevelopment also includes seven new screening lanes (two of which are already open), self-service bag drop, and ticketless check-ins designed to shrink the kerb-to-gate journey to just 15 minutes.

A major redevelopment of the T3 Domestic terminal is also underway, with 14 new dining venues opening from late 2025.

Behind the scenes, the NSW Government also confirmed a two-year trial of capped taxi fares between Sydney Airport and the CBD from 3 November, promising a seamless flow from arrival to departure.

Sydney Airport security screening
The transformation will deliver more efficient and seamless passenger journeys.

Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton says the transformation will deliver more efficient and seamless passenger journeys.

“The investments we are making in screening technology, terminal upgrades and digital services are improving the travel experience across all terminals," Charlton said.

At Melbourne Airport, security screening is now the same across all terminals, with new state-of-the-art body scanners and CT x-ray technology lanes introduced at Terminal 1.

With passenger numbers surging and international capacity expanding – led by new services from Turkish Airlines, Etihad and Virgin Australia-Qatar Airways – Australian airports are racing to modernise their systems before 2026.

The federal upgrade aligns with new national security standards and aims to future-proof airports for a projected 72 million passengers a year by 2045, according to Sydney Airport’s recently released Preliminary Draft Master Plan 2045.

Travellers can expect a noticeable difference by 2026. Less unpacking. Less waiting. More time to grab a coffee before boarding.

In short, the future of air travel in Australia is faster, simpler, and finally, hassle-free.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

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Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her 4+ years at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? South Australia and The Kimberley.
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3 wild corners of Australia that let you reconnect with nature (in comfort)

    Kassia Byrnes Kassia Byrnes
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    The country’s rawest places offer some of its most transformative, restorative experiences.

    Australia offers sublime opportunities to disappear into the ancient, untouched wilderness, worlds away from modern stress. Wild Bush Luxury offers a collection of experiences that are a portal into the continent’s wildest, most undiscovered landscapes, from wide floodplains to vast savannas, where the only distractions are birdsong, frog calls, curious wallabies and the daily drama of sunset. With a focus on conservation and Indigenous knowledge, these all-inclusive experiences allow guests to slow down and quiet their minds for intimate encounters with the natural world.

    1. Bamurru Plains

    safari tent at Bamurru Plains wild bush luxury
    Let nature take front row.

    In the remote Top End, just outside Kakadu National Park on the fringes of the spectacular Mary River floodplains, you’ll find Bamurru Plains, a peerless Australian safari camp. After a quick air transfer from Darwin to the camp’s private airstrip, you’ll be whisked away via 4WD to a vivid natural wonderland of shimmering floodplains, red earth, herds of peacefully grazing water buffalo and 236 bird species (Bamurru means magpie goose to the Gagadju people).

    Accommodations consist of 10 mesh-walled bungalows and two luxe stilted retreats where guests enjoy panoramic, up-close views that invite them into their rightful place in the landscape (and binoculars to see it even better). Being an off-grid experience designed to help guests disconnect, the only distractions are birdsongs, frog calls, curious wallabies, the occasional crocodile sighting and the daily drama of the spectacular golden sunset.

    It’s a place where nature’s vastness rises to the level of the spiritual, and Bamurru’s understated, stylish,  largely solar-powered lodgings are designed to minimise human impact and let nature take front row.  Guests relax in comfort with plush linens, an open bar, communal tables that allow for spontaneous connections and curated dining experiences from the in-house chef using local ingredients and bush-inspired cooking methods.

    Bamurru Plains airboat tour
    Zoom across the floodplains. (Image: Adam Gibson)

    It’s a restorative backdrop for days spent zooming across the mist-covered floodplains in an airboat, birding with expert guides, taking an open-sided safari drive or river cruise through croc country. Spend time at the Hide, a treehouse-like platform that’s perfect for wildlife spotting.

    In fact, nature is so powerful here that Bamurru Plains closes entirely during the peak monsoon season (October to April), when the floodplains reclaim the land and life teems unseen beneath the water. Yet Wild Bush Luxury’s ethos continues year-round through its other experiences around Australia – each designed to immerse travellers in a distinct Australian wilderness at its most alive and untouched.

    2. Maria Island Walk

    woman on a headland of Maria Island Walk
    Maria Island Walk offers sweeping coastal scenes.

    Off Tasmania’s rugged east coast, the iconic Maria Island Walk is an intimate four-day journey through one of the country’s most hauntingly beautiful and unpopulated national parks, encompassing pristine beaches, convict-era ruins, and wildlife sightings galore. Accessible only by a small ferry, Maria Island feels like a place reclaimed by nature, which is exactly what it is: a penal settlement later used for farms and industry that finally became a national park in 1972.

    These days, the island is known as ‘Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark’ and its only human inhabitants are park rangers. It’s a place where wombats amble through grassy meadows, wallabies graze beside empty beaches, dolphins splash in clear water just offshore and Tasmanian devils – successfully reintroduced in 2012 after near-extinction on the mainland – roam free and healthy.

    Each day unfolds in an unhurried rhythm: trails through coastal eucalyptus forests or along white-sand bays, plateaus with sweeping ocean views, quiet coves perfect for swimming. Midway through the journey, you’ll explore Darlington, a remarkably preserved 19th-century convict settlement whose ruins tell stories of human ambition at the edge of the known world.

    At night, sleep beneath a canopy of stars in eco-wilderness camps – after relaxing with Tasmanian wine and locally-sourced meals, and swapping stories with your fellow trekkers by candlelight.

    3. Arkaba

    two people standing next to a 4wd in Arkaba
    Explore Arkaba on foot or on four wheels.

    For a bush immersion with more of an outback flavour, Arkaba offers a completely different type of experience. A former sheep station and historic homestead in South Australia’s striking Flinders Ranges that has been reimagined as a 63,000-acre private wildlife conservancy. It’s now patrolled mainly by kangaroos and emus.

    Small-scale tourism (the homestead has just five ensuite guestrooms) helps support rewilding projects, and guests become an essential part of the conservation journey. Days begin with sunrise hikes through ancient sandstone ridges or guided drives into the ranges to spot yellow-footed rock-wallabies. And end with sundowners on a private ridgetop watching the Elder Range glow vibrant shades of gold, crimson and violet as the air cools and time stands still.

    Here, you can join conservation activities like tracking native species or learning about Arkaba’s pioneering feral-animal eradication projects, then unwind with chef-prepared dinners served alfresco on the veranda of the homestead, which is both rustic and refined. The highlight? Following Arkaba Walk, a thriving outback wilderness where emus wander and fields of wildflowers grow.

    It’s an unforgettable immersion in Australia’s vast inland beauty, a place where the land’s deep and complicated history – and astounding resilience – leave their quiet imprint long after you return home. In a world where genuine awe is rare, Wild Bush Luxury offers a return to what matters most in the untamed beauty of Australia’s wilderness.

    Disconnect from the grind and reconnect with nature when you book with at wildbushluxury.com