Airports bracing for surge in travellers over Easter holidays

Millions of Australians will head to the airport and hit the road today as the Easter holiday getaway begins.

Major airports across the country are preparing for their busiest weekend since before the pandemic. Nearly seven million travellers are expected to pass through the terminals at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane airports.

Sydney Airport predicts that today and Easter are going to be the busiest days, with about 120,000 passengers heading there.

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It estimated traveller numbers will reach about 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.

Sydney Airport general manager operations Greg Hay told Today this morning staff were prepared to handle the Easter surge.

"It certainly is busy here this morning and air travel is booming this Easter period. We've got so many more staff this year. Last year we lost so many jobs out of the industry, especially here at Sydney Airport.

"But we've rebuilt our teams over the last little while. The teams have got all reskilled again and we're back and ready for this Easter period."

Melbourne Airport is preparing to handle 2.1 million passengers over the Easter holidays.

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This follows a busy Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend when more than 375,000 people travelled through the airport over four days.

Brisbane Airport said from last Friday to today, 426,000 people are forecast to pass through the international and domestic terminals.

Travellers are advised to arrive one to two hours before a domestic flight, and two to three hours before an international flight, but no earlier.

And airlines are urging passengers to check limits for cabin and checked baggage before travelling. Excess cabin baggage on board can lead to flight delays.

People travelling to airports in their own vehicle should also book a parking spot early, airports advise. And Uber passengers should pre-book to ensure they reach their destination on time.

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Meanwhile, police and traffic authorities across the country are preparing for a busy time on the nation's roads.

Late today and Good Friday are traditionally the busiest times to be on the road, as well as Easter Monday and then when school holidays end, which differs from state to state.

Motorists are being warned to expect delays on major roads and motorways but allow plenty of time to reach their holiday destination.

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