Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD)
History, Facts and Overview

(Sydney, NSW, Australia)

Sydney Airport was founded in 1920 and quickly become an important local aerodrome in New South Wales. In 1933, the airport was expanded and saw the arrival of its very first runways. In 1953, Sydney Airport was official named Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport after an important Australian pilot and this remains the airport's official title.

A third run was added on reclaimed land in the 1960s, next to Botany Bay, enabling the airport to increase its overall capacity greatly. In 1970, Sydney Airport finally opened its new international terminal and was at last able to accommodate sizable 'Jumbo Jets', such as the much-used Boeing 747.


Recently in 2002, the airport was sold by the Australian Government and is now managed entirely by the organisation known as the 'Sydney Airport Corporation Limited'. Further expansions are planned over the next 20 years and include the building of a tall office block and parking garages, and additional terminal expansion.

Facilities at Sydney Airport are everything that you would expect, and more. Duty free shops are present in the international Terminal 1, with a smaller selection of shops located within the domestic Terminal 2. In total, more than 150 shops, bars and eateries are present at the airport, along with Travelex outlets and ANX exchange centres.