Kingsford Smith International Airport

Australia’s largest and by far the busiest airport is found in the capital of New South Wales. Sir Kingsford Smith International Airport is a magnificent domestic and global gateway to the state of New South Wales. It is located in Botany Bay, a coastal district of Sydney. Therefore, the facility is often called Sydney International Airport. More than 36 million passengers pass through the terminals of this facility each year. This sneaks it into 27th place on the world’s busiest airports list. International routes are handled by dozens of national carriers. However, Australia’s main carrier, Qantas, flies the most routes. Auckland, Los Angeles, Singapore, Hong Kong and Thailand are the busiest international connections from Sydney. Domestically, flights are services by Qantas Link, Qantas, Regional Express, Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways. These carriers directly link Sydney to 47 cities and towns across Australia.

There are three main passenger terminals found at the airport. Terminal 1 is the largest facility, handling most of the international flights at Sydney International Airport. However, Terminal 2 serves domestic flights carried by Virgin Australia, Regional Express and Tiger Airways. Qantas and Qantas Link fly out of Terminal 3. The international terminal is home to the duty-free shops. However, a range of fashion and accessories stores are found in the two domestic terminals too, including Rip Curl, Victoria’s Secret and Australian Way. Restaurants, including fast-food eateries and sit-down options, are located in all three terminals. In addition, currency exchange bureaus, ATMs, and post office services are just some of the amenities located inside Sydney International Airport.

From the airport, there are numerous transportation options. Car hire is available at the arrivals entrances of the international and domestic terminals. Reputable companies like Avis, Hertz and Budget provide rental car services. However, tourists may find this to be somewhat expensive. Driving to and from the airport is a convenient mode of transport if the traffic conditions are favorable. Southern Cross Drive and the South Western Freeway connect the facility to both the city center and south-western districts of Sydney. These freeways also connect to the highways which span the state of New South Wales. Sydney Buses provides public bus routes to the terminals of the airport. The Airport Link is the underground rail network that takes passengers from both terminals to the center of Sydney. Unfortunately, tickets are expensive, so a group of travelers would be better suited to a taxi if heading into the downtown area of Sydney. Although expensive, taxis will work out cheaper than the train.