Sydney Airport - New T2 Passenger Pickups Area

[Justin L]

Received this by email today regarding the new T2 passenger pickups area at Sydney Airport. They need to do something similar for T1 though, maybe with a 30 minute window due to customs delays etc. Having no free pick up area there is ridiculous.

http://node3.au.trclient.com/2820/on...150642-14.html

Sydney Airport’s T2 passenger pick-up area is to be relocated from Saturday 26 September to provide more spaces, more free pick-up time and less congestion.

The change will benefit passengers using T2 – the Domestic Terminal used by Virgin Blue, Jetstar, Tiger Airways, Qantaslink, Regional Express (REX) and other regional carriers. There is no change to drop off arrangements at T2 and no changes to arrangements at T1 (International Terminal) or T3 (Qantas Domestic) – although T3 passengers may elect to use the new facility.

The new T2 passenger pick-up area is located across to the right-hand side of Keith Smith Avenue. It will provide space for 51 vehicles with a free 10 minute pick-up period. Drivers will be able to leave their vehicles unattended.

Currently the T2 passenger pick-up area is at the front of the terminal. It provides space for just 7 vehicles, operates with a 2 minute pick-up period, and vehicles can not be left unattended.

The new pick-up area will reduce congestion and improve the traffic flow within the Domestic Precinct. Traffic picking-up from T2 will get in and out quickly as it will not have to do the full loop and not have to pass T3. As well as benefiting T2 traffic, this will mean that T3 traffic will be able to get to their terminal faster as well.

Increasing the free pick-up period from 2 minutes to 10 minutes will also reduce the number of cars looping around the road network as they wait for passengers to exit from T2 – further reducing congestion.

Ideally, drivers should time their visit to the airport so that the passengers they are picking up are ready and waiting for them at the new pick-up area. With the widespread availability of mobile phones and text messaging this is very easy to do. This reduces congestion and saves time.

Entry to the new pick-up area is through a ticket operated boom gate with vehicles that stay beyond the free 10 minutes paying normal car parking rates.

These changes are being made because the number of passengers using the Domestic Terminals has increased in recent years. In 2003 there were 15.8 million and in 2008 there were 22.3 million - an increase of 41% in just five years.

The forecast is for continued growth in the number of people using the domestic terminals. This growth has to be managed and these new pick-up arrangements will make a big difference.

A map detailing the new arrangements can be downloaded from www.Sydneyairport.com