The DEC of airports in the Sydney region is projected to increase by approximately 84 per cent from $5 billion in 2011 to $9 billion in 2031. Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport is the most significant airport in NSW by far, handling over a quarter of all air passenger numbers in the country. In 2011 Sydney Airport handled 24.13 million domestic and 11.64 million international passengers. Provisional data suggests these numbers had grown to 25.39 million and 13.24 million respectively by 2013-14.289
Joint work by the Australian and NSW Governments in 2011 and 2012 forecast that passenger numbers at Sydney Airport would grow to 76 million by 2035.290 Projections prepared by the airport operator, suggesting a passenger throughput of 74.3 million in 2033, are consistent with these projections.291 This would represent a doubling in passenger demand through the airport.
Meeting this projected demand is likely to require an expansion of airport capacity beyond Sydney Airport. Some of this demand is expected to be absorbed by the planned Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek. The expansion of capacity of these airports is expected to be financed by their operators.
The projections raise significant questions about land transport capacity between the airport and other parts of Sydney, notably the principal origins and destinations for airport-related movements broadly to the north of the airport.
Bankstown Airport is Sydney's primary general aviation airport. In 2011 it handled around 257,000 movements, although this figure fell to 221,000 movements in 2012-13. The airport operator projects this figure will increase to 282,000 movements in 2031. The airport is important for the operation of general aviation businesses such as flight training, aircraft maintenance, and air freight. The existing infrastructure at Bankstown Airport provides limited capacity for passenger operations, however no passenger services currently use the airport.292
Table 40 shows passenger and freight volumes for major NSW airports and illustrates the relative size of Sydney Airport in comparison to regional airports. In general, growth in demand for passenger and freight services at these airports is expected to follow regional population trends and to be met using existing airport assets.
Table 40: New South Wales airport passenger and freight volumes - 2013-14
| Revenue passenger (No.) | International Freight (tonnes) | ||||||
Airport | Domestic | International | Total | Total as % | Inbound | Outbound | Total | Total as % |
Sydney | 25,390,875 | 13,238,077 | 38,628,952 | 26.36% | 277,594 | 130,811 | 408,405 | 60.82% |
Williamtown | 1,200,214 | 0 | 1,200,214 | 0.82% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Ballina | 399,006 | 0 | 399,006 | 0.27% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Coffs Harbour | 383,051 | 0 | 383,051 | 0.26% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Albury | 253,004 | 0 | 253,004 | 0.17% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Port Macquarie | 229,407 | 0 | 229,407 | 0.16% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Wagga Wagga | 210,934 | 0 | 210,934 | 0.14% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Dubbo | 185,968 | 0 | 185,968 | 0.13% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Tamworth | 158,396 | 0 | 158,986 | 0.11% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00% |
Source: Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (2014i)
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289. Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (2014i)
290. Australian Government and New South Wales Government (2012), p. 6. On these figures, the airport will be handling more passengers than London's Heathrow Airport handled in 2013 (72.4 million).
291. Sydney Airport Corporation Limited (2014), p. 49
292. Sydney Metro Airports (2014)