Sydney Airport Deemed Top Airport in Australia/Pacific Region
According to the research organization Skytrax in its 2007 passenger survey, Sydney Airport is tops among airports operating within the
Australia/Pacific region. The survey reached this conclusion after
conducting a survey of over 40 determinants of passenger satisfaction with
regards to product and service standards observed at the airport. Of
special importance to Skytrax is general airport facilities for passengers,
and front-line customer service.
Sydney Airport is responsible for both domestic flights within, and
international flights in and out of Australia.
Growth of Sydney Airport
Sydney Airport CEO Russell Balding noted that Sydney Airport plans to
expand further in the next 10 years, with an infusion of $1.5 billion for
growth capital expenditure.
Sydney Airport has just finished its recent cycle of expansion (worth over
$100 million) which involved construction of aerobridges to be used by the
next-generation aircraft, the A380. In connection, the main runway and
taxiways were also widened and upgraded to meet the demands of this new
type of aircraft. The A380 will first be used for the Singapore-Sydney
passenger flight route sometime in 2007.
The T1 International Terminal is undergoing construction and upgrade valued at over $150 million. The last time this facility underwent refurbishment
was in preparation for the Sydney 2000 Olympiad. Another addition to the T1
International Terminal is construction of an eight-storey car park (funded
with $65 million.) The car park is expected to provide covered car parking
with about 3,000 spaces after it is finished in late 2008. (The existing
parking spaces at T1 number just 1,800 and are not covered.)
The T2 facility, for its part, also recently underwent a redesign valued at $20 million that resulted in growth of the retail concessions and the
addition of a new food court by April 2007. When passengers were surveyed
about this development, it was found that 83% expressed satisfaction about
the host of food and beverage options offered, while 89% said they
appreciated the total appearance and cleanliness of the T2 facility.
The T2 terminal is also the host facility of a new checked bag screening system which permits transfer and check-in passenger baggage to undergo
100% x-ray screening. The system, which cost Sydney Airport $37 million to
set up at T2, acts as a deterrent to people who intend to sneak in
explosives into the hold of the aircraft.
The Master Plan
Why is Sydney Airport pursuing so many refurbishments of its existing
facilities? Sydney Airport is the premier airport of Australia, and as
such, needs to anticipate the growth of the air travel needs of the City of
Sydney, the State of NSW, as well as the whole country of Australia as well
within the next 20-year period. This is why Sydney Airport came up with a
Master Plan that is well within the jurisdiction of the Airports Act 1996.
When implementation of this Master Plan goes full blast within the next 20
years, you can expect that Sydney Airport will become more highly-regarded
within the global aviation industry in the future.
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