Sydney airport braces for 2.5 million passengers this Easter

Avoid the holiday mayhem by following these simple and easy tips.

Easter is the perfect time to book a break. For families, kids are finally on school holidays. For couples, public holidays mean some extra time off work. And for the rest of us? Well, we’ve made it through the first quarter of the year relatively unscathed. All deserving of a luxurious long weekend away, right?

In 2025, it’s evident that more Aussies are keen to get away over the Easter period. From 9 to 29 April this year, Sydney Airport is expecting 2.5 million passengers through its doors – that’s 125,000 people per day. But before you think about cancelling those flights, we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve for making your departure day as stress-free as possible.

What’s going on at Sydney Airport?

This April, Sydneysiders are eager to escape not only the city, but the country, too. It’s the International Airport’s busiest Easter in over five years, with around one million passengers set to pass through its T1 terminal. That’s a nine per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

Around 2.5 million passengers will depart Sydney this Easter. (Image: Getty Images/Dora Dalton)

Over at the Domestic Airport, 1.5 million people are expected through both the T2 and T3 terminals – more than three per cent higher than last year. Thursday 17 April will be its busiest day, with an anticipated 85,000 passengers. International travel will peak the following day, Friday 18 April, with 53,000 outbound travellers.

“The ongoing growth in passenger numbers reflects the introduction of new services and increased capacity from airlines, and we’re looking forward to welcoming more flights and new airline partners throughout 2025," explains Sydney Airport CEO, Scott Charlton.

But Sydney Airport is well-prepared for the pandemonium. Staff numbers will be boosted across all terminals and stations, from security and customs to check-in and boarding. Transport vehicles within the airport will also be redirected to arrival gates during peak periods to avoid bottlenecking.

“To keep up with this demand, we’re investing across the airport – from terminals to the airfield – to improve efficiency and enhance the experience for passengers," continues Scott.

Sydney Airport is preparing for the Easter rush. (Image: Getty Images/Boeing746)

These investments will see 15 new screening lanes at the T1 International terminal, with five new lanes already in operation. The improved process means increased flow of foot traffic and reduced wait times.

The T2 Domestic terminal will also benefit, with a $200 million upgrade due to begin on 1 May. Key features include self-serve check-in kiosks, advanced drop bag systems, new security technology and improved accessibility features. It marks the terminal’s first major renovation in over 30 years, promising to get passengers from kerb to gate in just 15 minutes.

How to avoid the chaos

While the increased number of passengers at Sydney Airport this Easter may put some people off, there are definitely ways to make it less stressful than it needs to be. Here are a few handy tips to getting on your flight without any hiccups along the way.

1. Plan transportation in advance

If you’re driving to the airport, book your parking at the same time you book your flights. The Blu Emu parking complex is a great option. Less than two kilometres from the airport, it has a shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes. Those taking public transport should plan their trip via Transport NSW well ahead of departure. Know which train line or bus route you need to take and allow time for delays and traffic.

2. Purchase travel insurance

A suitcase on a buggage belt at the airport

Travel insurance can help in the case of lost luggage. (Image: Getty Images/Onurdongel)

Once you’ve booked your flights and planned your transport, it’s a good idea to purchase travel insurance. In doing so, you can protect yourself against unforeseen issues that come with peak-season travel, like delays, cancellations, lost luggage and other emergencies. There are plenty of options out there, so it’s important to do the research and find out what best suits you and your travel needs.

3. Check in ahead of time

Avoid extra stress on departure day by checking in online before you arrive at the airport. Most airlines actually encourage an early check-in, as it saves time for both passengers and airport staff. Online check-in usually opens 48 hours ahead of domestic flights and 24 hours before international departures. It’s a relatively quick process, easily completed on the airline’s website or mobile app – all you need is your booking reference.

4. Travel with carry-on luggage

People lining up with luggage at the airport

Avoid long lines by travelling with carry-on luggage. (Image: Getty Images/Izusek)

If you’re only going away for a short amount of time, try to squeeze everything you need into a carry-on bag. Plan out your outfits ahead of time, avoid heavy/bulky items and only pack the essentials – just remember, it will need to weigh seven kilograms or less. Without checked luggage, you can check yourself in and skip the lines. Even better, when you arrive at your destination, you’ll avoid the crowds at the baggage carousel.

5. Arrive early to avoid delays

While domestic passengers are usually encouraged to arrive at least 60 minutes before departure, those travelling this Easter should get to the airport with two hours to spare. If you’re heading overseas, give yourself at least three hours. There’s plenty to keep you occupied on the other side of security – do some shopping (did someone say duty free?), have lunch or hang out at your gate with a good book.

6. Stay informed and updated

Airport delays can occur at any time. (Image: Getty Images/Baona)

No matter how prepared you are, busy travel periods can mean unexpected delays and last-minute changes. Be sure to stay informed on your departure gate and flight status via the Sydney Airport website. Know the security rules (laptops out of bags, liquid restrictions, no prohibited products etc.) and always have your booking details handy.

7. Be kind to yourself and others

Delays, flight cancellations, large crowds and long lines can be frustrating, but it’s always important to be kind. Remind yourself that other passengers are probably just as stressed and airport workers are doing their best, too. While you’re off on holiday, they’re working hard to get you there without any issues.

If air travel makes your anxious, ensure you have everything you need – whether that’s buying your favourite snack, packing a comforting object or booking an airline known for helping nervous flyers. With a good amount of preparation and a little bit of kindness, everyone can enjoy Easter and find joy in the chaos.

Welcome to the first instalment of Hotel Addict, a monthly column where I check into Australia’s best hotels, exploring not just the rooms, but the stories, service and settings that make each stay unforgettable and worth adding to your wishlist.

Hotel stays have quietly become my thing. Long before I became a travel journalist, I was booking staycations just for a change of scenery. Some had charm, some had character, some had neither. Once, I even stayed in a hotel directly opposite my own apartment – partly for the novelty, partly because I wanted to see my life from a different angle.

For me, hotels represent a kind of mystery – I find myself wanting to know what these buildings contain. Many of them are designed with intention: lighting, materials, scent and sounds that often reflect the city they sit in. Time seems to gently pause in these spaces, which have increasingly become the destination itself for modern travellers.

It only felt fitting for the first hotel in this series to be in my home city and at the hotel that’s been at the top of my list: Capella Sydney.

A sandstone heritage building and palm trees

Capella sits within an Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building.

An email with a hotel program from the “Culturist Team” lets me know this will be a luxurious stay. There’s a guided walk around the Botanic Gardens, a weaving workshop and a Sydney contemporary art tour – the kind of addition that signals a hotel that’s tuned into the finer details, and one that’s not surprising given that Capella’s ethos centres on delivering personalised, immersive experiences.

Capella opened in 2023 within a transformed Edwardian Baroque‑style sandstone building in Sydney’s CBD that was originally designed by renowned Scottish-Australian architect George McRae. I often walk past this building and once attended an event inside – I distinctly remember being surprised by how beautiful it was. Bar Studio, Make Architects, and stylist Simone Haag were engaged to sensitively adapt the building for contemporary luxury while honouring its past, in collaboration with Heritage NSW and the City of Sydney.

When I arrive, I’m greeted by three different staff members along the way to reception. There’s a lovely subtle scent, which I later learn combines notes of bergamot, green tea leaves, peony, freesia, vetiver and cedarwood. This hotel strikes such a beautiful balance between grandness and intimacy, with large floral bouquets, contemporary artworks, impressively high ceilings that give it an international feel and quieter nooks to unwind in. Each space is unique, but they’re all unified by a warm, textural and layered design.

Sydney has been deserving of a hotel of this calibre for quite some time, with many of the accommodations in the city looking and feeling dated.

A modern hotel reception with high ceilings

The design strikes the perfect balance between grandness and intimacy.

I have a treatment booked at the hotel’s Auriga Spa prior to check-in. The space is ultra-luxe, moodily lit and intimate, featuring timber joinery, green walls and a sleek design that’s so perfect it almost transports me to Japan. I opt for the Replenish Beauty and LED Facial – a strategic choice with a TV segment on the horizon, and a hopeful bid to look extra fresh for the camera.

The treatment begins with me sitting in the softest robe of my life, wearing slippers and sipping chamomile tea. I’m then whisked away to my private treatment room, which has its own bathroom, a large skylight and a small Japanese-style garden. The treatment is extremely relaxing and moves through cleansing, exfoliating, massaging (arm, head, neck and face) and LED Light Therapy. There’s so much attention to detail – even at the end, the facialist puts my slippers back on me, while I’m still lying down.

Spa treatment room with a massage bed, featuring timber walls and a serene Japanese-style garden visible through a window.

A treatment at Auriga Spa might be the best way I’ve ever started a hotel stay. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

While this treatment certainly hasn’t had a Benjamin Button effect, my sister seems to think I’m glowing, so I walk away happy, or at the very least, zen.

Auriga Spa has a sauna, steam room, ice fountain and a beautiful indoor heated swimming pool. There’s also “experiential showers” – new to me, but essentially it combines water flowing from different places, changing temperatures, mood lighting, gentle sounds, and a subtle lemongrass scent.

You could easily spend the better part of a day at the spa and pool, even if you’re not a guest.

The indoor heated swimming pool with glass ceiling at Capella Sydney.

Guests outside the hotel can use the spa and swimming pool. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

I’m escorted to my room, drunk on relaxation, but I make sure to take note of how noisy the hallways are – answer: dead quiet. My room is 50 square metres, which is huge by hotel standards, but particularly for one in the CBD. It feels like a high-end apartment with floorboards, a freestanding bath and a seating/dining area. My eyes are immediately drawn to the line-up of macarons waiting for me on the dining table.

I’m thrilled to see the mini bar armoire includes a small wine fridge stocked with Minuty Prestige Côtes de Provence, Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Handpicked Wines Pinot Noir, and Moët Grand Vintage. Not that I plan on using it (I simply could not justify the prices) – but it’s a nice extra that makes the room feel that much more luxurious. The drinks lineup reads like a who’s-who of local favourites – Young Henrys, Maybe Sammy cocktails, Four Pillars gin and Archie Rose gin. Snacks include Tyrell’s chips, Pringles, Natural Confectionery lollies, and a Carman’s oat bar.

Some small touches I appreciate that some hotels don’t offer: the option to choose your housekeeping time, an iron that actually works well, a Bluetooth speaker, the beloved wine fridge, aluminium water bottles and a bathroom without a glass door or screen that awkwardly exposes you. The one downside is that some of these rooms don’t offer much in the way of a view.

A modern hotel room with a monochrome paletter.

I stayed in a Premier Room which was elegant and relaxing. (Image: Rachael Thompson)

4:30pm is Swill Hour – a daily tradition that nods to the historical “six o’clock swill” in Australia. This one-hour event takes place in the Living Room and invites guests to gather and enjoy each other’s company with a signature cocktail in hand. This afternoon’s tipple is a Eucalyptus Gimlet, a clever, herbaceous little cocktail, by the multi-award-winning Maybe Sammy Team, served on coasters depicting drawings of the historic building. The canapé of the day is a tomato and stracciatella tart. I noticed several staff members chatting with guests like old friends, asking how their adventures earlier in the day went – clearly remembering previous conversations from earlier visits.

Dinner is booked for 6:30pm in Aperture – arguably the most beautiful area of the accommodation. It’s decorated with Australian flora and features a kinetic sculpture hanging from the roof that opens like flowers, with softly changing lights. Tyler, who is serving us, clearly admires the Capella brand, speaking enthusiastically about the other international properties he’s been to and sharing how he sometimes brings his five-year-old daughter here to use the pool.

Interior of Aperture at Capella Sydney, featuring lush greenery and a striking ceiling-mounted sculpture.

The scale of Aperture gives it an international feel.

I kick things off with a basil melon margarita – a winning recommendation – before tucking into the best prawn toast I’ve ever had. For mains it’s crispy Ōra King salmon and spaghetti with mud crab.

When I arrive back at my room, there’s a vegan leather journal on my bed with a note that says: “The ritual of journaling allows us to pause, reflect and focus.” This is part of the turndown service, and my slippers are neatly lined up next to my bed. Will I journal? No. Do I think it’s a nice touch? Yes.

Brasserie 1930 at Capella Sydney, where Art Deco elegance meets contemporary Australian cuisine.

Brasserie 1930 boasts Art Deco elegance.

The next morning, I make the predictable choice of smashed avo for breakfast at the on-site restaurant, Brasserie 1930. There’s also a buffet brimming with all the usual suspects.

Afterwards, I head to the pool to relax for a few hours before the 11am checkout. Despite my earlier resolve not to journal, I find myself reflecting nonetheless – an irony not lost on me – on my 21st hotel stay in Sydney. I write this with growing assurance that great hotels don’t just provide a place to stay; they create memorable moments, thanks in large part to fantastic staff. Kudos to the hiring manager.

Next stop: The Tasman, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Hobart!