Sydney Airport has kicked off a worldwide search for architectural and engineering partners to help deliver a AU$6 billion capital-works program between 2026 and 2030. The request for tender, released 14 November 2025, marks a strategic shift away from project-by-project contracting toward long-term panel partnerships that will span the airport’s entire infrastructure pipeline.
Headline works include the landmark T2-T3 terminal integration, which will physically link the domestic precincts and add 12 swing gates capable of handling both domestic and international services. By consolidating passenger flows and unlocking additional contact gates, the project is designed to lift Sydney’s capacity toward its Master Plan goal of 72 million annual passengers by 2045.
![Sydney Airport launches global tender for $6 billion, five-year upgrade program]()
The tender also covers airfield upgrades, next-generation security and biometric installations, and major retail reconfigurations aimed at boosting non-aeronautical revenue. Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said the multi-year framework would “deliver greater consistency and design excellence” while accelerating approvals—Sydney expects to lodge more major development applications in the next five years than in the previous two decades.
For corporate travel managers the benefits are tangible: a unified terminal will cut minimum-connection times between Qantas’ domestic and international flights, and expanded security lanes using CT scanners promise sub-10-minute processing for 99 per cent of passengers. Airlines stand to gain operational efficiencies from flexible gate allocations and reduced towing.
Tender awards are due in December 2025, with public consultation on the preliminary Major Development Plan to follow. Construction on the T2-T3 link is slated to begin in late 2026, meaning mobility planners should factor intermittent gate closures and landside congestion into short-term travel-risk assessments.
Headline works include the landmark T2-T3 terminal integration, which will physically link the domestic precincts and add 12 swing gates capable of handling both domestic and international services. By consolidating passenger flows and unlocking additional contact gates, the project is designed to lift Sydney’s capacity toward its Master Plan goal of 72 million annual passengers by 2045.
The tender also covers airfield upgrades, next-generation security and biometric installations, and major retail reconfigurations aimed at boosting non-aeronautical revenue. Airport chief executive Scott Charlton said the multi-year framework would “deliver greater consistency and design excellence” while accelerating approvals—Sydney expects to lodge more major development applications in the next five years than in the previous two decades.
For corporate travel managers the benefits are tangible: a unified terminal will cut minimum-connection times between Qantas’ domestic and international flights, and expanded security lanes using CT scanners promise sub-10-minute processing for 99 per cent of passengers. Airlines stand to gain operational efficiencies from flexible gate allocations and reduced towing.
Tender awards are due in December 2025, with public consultation on the preliminary Major Development Plan to follow. Construction on the T2-T3 link is slated to begin in late 2026, meaning mobility planners should factor intermittent gate closures and landside congestion into short-term travel-risk assessments.
