[11] Flights had been taking off from at least 1911 from these fields, with aviators using other Sydney locations like Anderson Park and Neutral Bay for a few years prior.

[12] Nigel Love, who had been a pilot in the First World War, was interested in establishing the nation's first aircraft manufacturing company.

A real estate office in Sydney told him of some land owned by the Kensington Race Club that was being kept as a hedge against its losing its government-owned site at Randwick.

[citation needed] This land appealed to Love as the surface was perfectly flat and was covered with a pasture of buffalo grass.

[citation needed] In addition, the approaches on all four sides had no obstructions, it was bounded by Ascot Racecourse, gardens, a river, and Botany Bay.

Love established the airfield at Mascot as a private concern, leasing 80 hectares (200 acres) from the Kensington Race Club for three years.

In 1923, when Love's three-year lease expired, the Mascot land was compulsorily acquired by the Commonwealth Government from the racing club.

In 1940, the Department of Civil Aviation constructed an administrative and terminal building in the eastern part of the aerodrome, with a control tower cab at the top floor.

The Sydenham to Botany railway line crossed runway 04/22 approximately 150 metres (490 ft) from the northern end and was protected by special safe working facilities.

[citation needed] The "third runway", which the Commonwealth government commenced development of in 1989 and completed in 1994, remained controversial because of increased aircraft movements, especially over inner suburbs.

A limited number of scheduled and approved take-offs and landings are permitted respectively in the "shoulder periods" of 11 pm to midnight and 5 am to 6 am.

The upgrade includes a new baggage system, an extra 7,300 m2 (78,577 sq ft) of space for shops and passenger waiting areas, expansion of the transit zone, and other improvements.

The tower occupies a central position in the airport, located northeast to where General Holmes Drive goes under the main Runway 16R/34L.

[40] The second extension was undertaken between 1997 and 2000 before the 2000 Summer Olympics, including ten new aircraft parking positions and new integrated baggage handling system.

[45][66] A third $500 million redevelopment was completed in 2010, by which the shopping complex was expanded, outbound customs operations were centralised and the floor space of the terminal increased to 254,000 square metres (2,730,000 sq ft).

There are also a number of remote bays which are heavily utilised during peak periods and for parking idle aircraft during the day.

It was upgraded and modernised in 1974–1975 with a new baggage handling system, moving walkways, air-conditioned departure lounges and aerobridges.

This was to create additional gates for other airlines, required as part of the new 30-year lease for the terminal that Ansett had signed with the federal government.

This means Sydney Airport resumes operational responsibility of the terminal, including the lucrative retail areas.

[84] Construction of the terminal and adjacent aircraft parking aprons was completed in "a record 56 days", and operations began on 5 June 2000 with an official opening on 18 July that year.

The airport is a major hub for freight transport to and from Australia, handling approximately 45 percent of the national cargo traffic.

These flights, using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, depart Sydney from Terminal 3, and provide a guided aerial tour of Antarctica before returning to Australia.

[153] Sydney Airport handled over 24.1 million domestic passengers in the year ending 31 December 2023, a significant increase from 2021 levels, largely due to the aviation downturn from COVID-19.

The M5 South Western Motorway (including the M5 East Freeway) links the airport with the south-western suburbs of Sydney.

General Holmes Drive features a tunnel under the main north–south runway and three taxiways as well as providing access to an aircraft viewing area.

Inside the airport a part-ring road – Ross Smith Avenue (named after Ross MacPherson Smith) – connects the Domestic Terminal with the control tower, the general aviation area, car-rental company storage yards, long-term car park, heliport, various retail operations and a hotel.

The project provides a motorway-grade road directly from the terminals to Sydney's CBD, Parramatta and the south-western suburbs.

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.

While the stations are part of the Sydney Trains suburban network, they are privately owned and operated by the Airport Link Company and their use is subject to a surcharge.

[202] It would be linked to Sydney Airport by local roads and motorways, and by extensions to the existing suburban rail network.