Sydney Airport upgrade scraps laptop checks, slashes wait times as hi-tech lanes introduced

Australian travellers can expect faster and more efficient security screenings by the end of the year, as major airports across the country scramble to meet the Federal Government’s deadline to upgrade their systems.

As part of a $2 billion overhaul, domestic and international passengers will no longer need to remove laptops, liquids, or aerosols from their bags — an often frustrating ritual that has long slowed down security lines and added stress to the airport experience.

The Department of Home Affairs, who is responsible for setting guidelines for Australian Airports, gave a December 31 deadline for the systems to be upgraded.

Sydney Airport is already seeing the benefits, as the changes significantly reduce wait times at security.

A spokesperson told The Nightly that 11 of the 15 new screening lanes equipped with advanced CT technology were operational from October at Terminal 1 in the international airport, with the remaining lanes up and running by the end of 2025.

Although the total number of lanes will decrease from 17 to 15, the new 21-metre conveyor belts will boost overall screening capacity by nearly 30 per cent.

In fact, the airport reports that the number of passengers going through the new lanes has already doubled.

“Passenger throughput has increased by 100 per cent compared to the previous lane output,” an airport spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the $200 million security upgrades at Terminal 2 in the domestic airport are progressing and are set for completion in the coming weeks.

Two of the seven new security lanes featuring advanced CT technology were operational late in October, with the remaining five set to be fully functional by the end of 2025.

“Works are advancing on new self-service check-in kiosks and bag drop systems that will streamline the journey from kerb to gate to as little as fifteen minutes once complete,” the spokesperson added.

Travellers will still need to empty their pockets and remove coats and belts for body scanning, but the streamlined process is already cutting screening times in half.

Since the new lanes were introduced, 99.1 per cent of international passengers and 99.9 per cent of domestic passengers have cleared security in under 10 minutes, significantly exceeding the Government’s expectation of a 15-minute maximum journey from check-in to gate.

The progressive rollout of 40 new smart gates has dramatically increased the processing speed for incoming passengers as well.

“Wait times for inbound immigration also improved, with 90 per cent of passengers clearing within 35 minutes,” the airport confirmed.

Sydney Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said the strong performance demonstrates the value of their partnerships with airlines and the Australian Border Force to deliver more efficient and seamless passenger journeys.

“It also shows that the investments we are making in screening technology, terminal upgrades and digital services are improving the travel experience across all terminals,” Mr Charlton said.

Further north, after years of development, five new lanes at the Qantas security screening point were opened in Brisbane.

An additional 10 lanes were set to be completed in the domestic airport by Christmas and eight upgraded lanes were to be fully open in the international terminal by the end of the year.

Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra and Hobart have already completed their security upgrades.