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Sydney Airport (also known as Kingsford Smith Airport) is located in the suburb of Mascot in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is the major airport serving Sydney, and is a major hub for Qantas.

Sydney Airport is one of the oldest continually operated airports in the world, and the busiest airport in Australia, handling 32.9 million passengers and 298,964 aircraft movements in 2008. It was the 28th busiest airport in the world in 2003. The airport is managed by Sydney Airport Corporation Limited (SACL) and the current CEO is Russell Balding.

Situated next to Botany Bay, the airport has three runways, colloquially known as the "East-West", "North-South" and "Third" runways. It has the smallest land area of any capital city airport in Australia.

History
1920 to 1930 - Early History (see also Mascot history)

The area that the airport was situated was originally a bullock paddock.

Nigel Love, a former wartime pilot, was looking into the possibilities for aviation in Australia. He was interested in establishing the nation's first aircraft manufacturing company, this required him to establish a factory and an aerodrome close to the city.

His search for a potential site eventually led him to a real estate office in Sydney which was aware of some land owned by the Kensington Race Club (that was kept as a hedge against losing its government-owned site at Randwick). It had been used by a local abattoir, which was closing down, to graze sheep and cattle.

This land appealed to Love, the surface was perfectly flat and was covered with a pasture of buffalo grass. This grass which had been grazed so evenly by the sheep and cattle running on it that it required little to make it serviceable to land aircraft. In addition, the approaches on all four sides had no obstructions, it was bounded by a racecourse, gardens, a river and Botany Bay.

Love established Mascot as a private concern, leasing 200 acres (0.81 km2) from the Kensington Race club for 3 years. It initially had a small canvas structure but was later equipped with an imported Richards hangar.

The first flight from Mascot was on November 19, 1919 when Love carried freelance movie photographer Billy Marshall up in an Avro. The official opening flight took place on January 9, 1920, also performed by Love.

In 1921 the Commonwealth Government purchased 161 acres (0.65 km2) in Mascot for the purpose of creating a public airfield. In 1923, when Love's 3-year lease expired, the Mascot land was compulsorily acquired by the federal government from the racing club.

The first regular flights began in 1924.

1930 to 1960

In 1933, the first gravel runways were built.

Cooks River was diverted away from the area in 1947-52 to provide more land for the airport and other small streams were filled.

When Mascot was declared an aerodrome in 1920 it was known as Sydney Airport, in 1953 it was renamed Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport in honour of Charles Kingsford Smith, a pioneering Australian aviator.

1960 to 2000

By the 1960s the need for a new international terminal had become apparent, and work commenced in late 1966. The new terminal was officially opened on 3 May 1970, by Queen Elizabeth II.

The first Boeing 747 'Jumbo Jet' to serve the airport, Pan American's 'Clipper Flying Cloud' (N734PA), arrived on 4 October 1970. In the 1970s the north-south runway was expanded to become one of the longest runways in the southern hemisphere. The international terminal was expanded in 1992 and has undergone several refurbishments since then.

By the 1960s, the limitations of having only two runways that crossed each other had become apparent. Various governments grappled with Sydney's airport capacity for decades. Eventually, the controversial decision to build a third runway was made. The third runway was built parallel to the existing main "North-South" runway on reclaimed land from Botany Bay). A proposed new airport on the outskirts of Sydney was shelved indefinitely.

Following completion, the "third runway" (as it is known to Sydneysiders) remained controversial because of increased aircraft movements, especially over many inner suburbs. The 1990s saw the formation of the No Aircraft Noise Party, which gained support in affected areas. There has been general acquiescence in the arrangements for Sydney Airport that were introduced by the Howard government shortly after its election, namely to -
 * 1) maintain curfews (extremely limited jet movements between 2300-0600H)
 * 2) rotate runway operation, and fan flightpaths out (instead of concentrating them, as had previously been the case)
 * use, whenever possible, flightpaths over water, especially Botany Bay
 * 1) continue the use of noise abatement (reduced power settings, etc) on departure.

2000 to 2010

In 2002, the Australian Government sold Sydney Airports Corporation Limited (later renamed to Sydney Airport Corporation Limited, SACL), the management authority for the airport, to Southern Cross Airports Corporation Holdings Ltd. 82.93% of SACL is owned by MAp Airports International Limited, a subsidiary of Macquarie Bank, Sydney Airport Intervest GmbH own 12.11% and Ontario Teachers' Australia Trust own 4.96%. SACL holds a 99 year lease on the airport which remains Crown land.

Since the international terminal's original completion, it has undergone two large expansions. One such expansion is underway and will stretch over twenty years (2005–2025). This will include an additional high-rise office block, the construction of a multi-level car park, the expansion of both the International and Domestic Terminals. These expansions—and other plans and policies by Macquarie Bank for airport operations—are seen as controversial as they are performed without legal oversight of local councils, which usually act as the local planning authority for such developments.

As of April 2006, some of the proposed development has been scaled back.

Sydney Airport's International terminal is currently undergoing a 500 million dollar renovation that will be completed in mid 2010. The upgrade includes a new baggage system, an extra 7300 sq metres of space for shops and passenger waiting areas and other improvements.

In March 2010 the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released a report sharply critical of price gouging at Sydney airport, ranking it fifth out of five airports. The report noted Sydney Airport recorded the highest average prices at $13.63 per passenger, compared to the lowest of $7.96 at Melbourne Airport, while the price of short-term parking had almost doubled in the 2008-09 financial year, from $28 to $50 for four hours. The report also accused the airport of abusing its monopoly power.

Terminals
Sydney Airport has three passenger terminals. The International Terminal is separated from the other two by a runway, therefore connecting passengers need to allow for longer transfer times. The airport provides fee-based shuttle services between the terminals, but it is also possible to walk instead.

Terminal 1
Terminal 1 was opened on May 3, 1970, replacing the old Overseas Passenger Terminal (which was located where Terminal 3 stands now) and has been greatly expanded by then. Today it is known as the International Terminal, located in the airport's north western sector. It has 29 gates (Concourse B with 8-37 and Concourse C with 50-63) served by aerobridges, as well as a number of remote bays. It can accommodate the Airbus A380, which fly routes to Singapore (Singapore Airlines), London via Singapore and Los Angeles (Qantas), Dubai and Auckland (Emirates). The terminal building is split into three levels, one each for arrivals, departures and airline offices. The terminal also has an observation deck located on the rooftop. The terminal hosts six airline lounges: Two for Qantas, and one each for Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Emirates. The terminal is currently undergoing a major $500 million redevelopment to be completed in 2010, by which the shopping complex is to be expanded.

Terminal 2
Terminal 2, located in the airport's north eastern section, was the former home of Ansett Australia's domestic operations. It features 15 parking bays served by aerobridges and a number of non-contact bays. Today it serves Virgin Blue, Jetstar, Regional Express, Aeropelican Air Services, some Qantaslink services and Tiger Airways. There are lounges (for Qantas, Virgin Blue and Regional Express Airlines.

Terminal 3
Terminal 3 is a domestic terminal, serving Qantas and Qantaslink. Originally, it was home for Trans Australia Airlines and later Australian Airlines. Like Terminal 2 it is located in the north eastern section. The current terminal building is largely the result of extensions made during the late 1990s. There are 14 parking bays served by aerobridges, including 2 served by dual aerobridges. Terminal 3 features a large Qantas Club lounge, along with a dedicated Business Class and Chairmans lounge.

Other Terminals
Sydney Airport has an currently unused fourth passenger terminal, east of Terminal 2. This was formerly known as Domestic Express and was used by low-cost carriers Virgin Blue and the now defunct Impulse Airlines.

The dedicated Freight Terminal is located north of Terminal 1.

Airlines and destinations



 * Notes:
 * Originates from Terminal 2 and stops in Darwin.
 * These flights may make an intermediate stop en route to their listed final destination; however the airlines have no traffic rights to carry passengers solely between Sydney and the intermediate Australian stop.



Curfew
In 1995 the Australian Government passed a law through parliament entitled "The Sydney Airport Curfew Act", which limits the operating hours of the airport. This was done in an effort to curb complaints about aircraft noise. The curfew prevents aircraft from taking off or landing between the hours of 11pm and 6am. A limited number of scheduled and approved take-offs and landings are permitted respectively in the "shoulder periods" of 11pm to midnight and 5am to 6am, by Section 12 of the Act.

During extreme weather, flights are often delayed and it is often the case that people on late flights are unable to travel on a given day. Fines for violating curfew have been levied against four airlines, as of 2009 with a maximum fine for $550 000 applicable.

Second airport proposals


Sydney has sought a second airport since 1964. Between 1987 and 2000 domestic flights though Sydney have more than doubled to nearly 27 million, and international passengers served increased from 8 million to 15 million. Close to half of all scheduled flights in Australia take off or land at Kingsford Smith. In 1998 the airport handled 45% of international passengers in Australia.

The Commonwealth has bought most of the required land in a proposed site at Badgery's Creek, west of Sydney. This site would be accessible by the Westlink M7 motorway. There are currently three proposals for the airport layout, featuring different arrangement of terminals in the centre of the proposed three runways.

The issue of a second airport for Sydney arose again after the Rudd government was elected in 2007. Convinced that capacity at the current airport will be exhausted, it sought a new site. It is believed that various options, including a freight-only airport operation, will be considered. Camden, converting part or all of Richmond and Canberra will be investigated for feasibility, while Bankstown and Badgerys Creek, according to sources, will not.

Prospective users and routes

 * El Al is looking to start flights to Sydney from Tel Aviv.
 * AirAsia X is looking to start flights to Sydney from Kuala Lumpur, it aims to commence the route on July 1 by using an Airbus A330, if permission to fly the route is granted by the Malaysian government.
 * Turkish Airlines is planning to start flights to Australia in 2011 with Sydney as a possible destination
 * V Australia plans to commence flights to Tokyo in the future using Tokyo's Haneda Airport.
 * Royal Brunei - Plans to add Sydney in 2011.

Rail
The airport is accessible by via the Airport Link underground rail line. The International Terminal is located below the terminal, while the Domestic Terminal railway stations is located under the car park between the terminals. While the stations and are part of the Cityrail suburban network, they are privately owned and operated by the Airport Link consortium. As a result passengers are required to pay a station access fee or 'gate fee' of approximately $10. This fee is added to the price of the distance based train ticket or paid for separately in the case of daily or weekly tickets.

The trains that service the airport are regular suburban trains. Unlike special airport trains at other airports, these do not have special provisions for customers with luggage, do not operate express to the airport and may have all seats occupied by commuters before the trains arrive at the airport.

Bus
Sydney Buses run Route 400 from Burwood to Bondi Junction railway stations and stops at the International and Domestic terminals. It connects the eastern suburbs, Inner West and St George areas to the airport,.

Private shuttle busses also service the airport from the Sutherland Shire, Blue Mountains and Central Coast.

Road
Sydney Airport, being located within a dense urban area, has road connections in all directions. Southern Cross Drive (M1), a motorway, is the fastest link with the city centre. The only other motorway, the M5 South Western Motorway including the M5 East links the airport with the south western suburbs.

A ring road runs around the airport consisting of Airport Drive, Qantas Drive, General Holmes Drive, M5 East Freeway and Marsh Street. General Holmes Drive features a tunnel under the main north-south runway and 3 taxiways as well as providing access to the aircraft viewing area. Inside the airport a part-ring road, Ross Smith Avenue, connects the Domestic Terminal with the control tower, aviation commerce areas, car rental yards, long term car park, heliport, Mc Donalds food outlets and a hotel. A permiter road runs inside the secured area for authorised vehicles only.

Pedestrian and Bicycle
The International Terminal is located beside a wide pedestrian and bicycle path. It links Mascot and Sydney City in the north-east with Tempe (via a foot bridge over Alexandra Canal) and Botany Bay to the south-west. All terminals offer bicycle racks and are also easily accessible by foot from nearby areas.

Accidents and incidents

 * On 30 November 1961, Vickers Viscount VH-TVC of Ansett ANA crashed into Botany Bay shortly after take-off. The starboard wing failed in mid-air. All 15 people on board were killed.


 * On 24 April 1994, Douglas DC-3 VH-EDC of Southern Pacific Airmotive had an engine malfunction shortly after take-off on a charter flight to Norfolk Island. The engine was feathered but airspeed decayed and it was found to be impossible to maintain height. A successful ditching was carried out into Botany Bay. All four crew and 21 passengers safely evacuated the aircraft. The investigation revealed that the propellor was not fully feathered.