Sydney Airport will launch a curbside Uber pickup zone at its T3 domestic terminal in time for the Christmas school holiday travel season.
Currently, passengers arriving at T3 access Uber rides from the Priority Pickup area located between the T2 and T3 domestic terminals. When the new zone opens on December 21, 2023, it is expected to decrease the traffic entering the Priority Pickup area by 35%. Passengers arriving in Sydney via the T2 terminal will continue to access Uber rides via the existing Priority Pickup area, and arrangements for dropping off passengers remain the same across all terminals.
As a result of this change, from Monday, December 18, T3 passengers being picked up by limousine and private hire car will meet their vehicle and driver approximately 80 meters further east along Shiers Avenue, a one-minute walk from the existing location. The new curbside zone for limousines and private hire cars will have five bays and will be supplemented by an additional dedicated zone in the Priority Pickup area, with a further four bays.
Passengers arriving at T3 can continue to access other rideshare operators from the Priority Pickup area. Additionally, any ground transportation operator who has passengers with mobility needs or disabilities will be able to use any one of four accessible pickup spaces across the domestic precinct.
Kenn Langcake, head of commercial transport at Sydney Airport, said, “We’re delighted to partner with Uber on this initiative just in time for Christmas, and give Uber riders what they’ve been asking for, which is a pickup zone closer to the T3 domestic terminal. Rideshare now accounts for nearly 40% of all pickups at the airport, up from just 7% in 2016, so it’s important that we continue to evolve our services in line with shifting passenger preferences.
“[In the] longer-term, we would like to roll out a curbside pickup zone at our T2 domestic terminal. In the meantime, T2 passengers accessing Uber rides via the existing Priority Pickup area should have a much better experience, with congestion in that area set to come down by more than a third. This is a great outcome in terms of efficiency and safety just in time for the Christmas school holiday peak. We also recognize that taxis remain a highly valued part of the transport mix here at Sydney Airport so we are pleased that there are no changes to taxi ranks within the domestic precinct.”
Dom Taylor, managing director of Uber ANZ, said, “We are thrilled to partner with Sydney Airport to provide a more seamless pickup experience that meets consumer preferences right at the curbside at Terminal 3. Uber’s technology has proven to reduce wait times and congestion at airports around the world, so we’re excited to implement this at one of our busiest pickup points across Australia. We look forward to evolving our partnership with Sydney Airport to provide more innovative transport solutions across its terminals, as well as providing ease and convenience for those traveling through Sydney over the holidays.”
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