SYDNEY, Australia — October 29, 2026 — Security screeners at Sydney Airport (SYD) will walk off the job twice on Friday, October 30, in the third round of strikes since late September over job security. The airport stays open and flights are not expected to be cancelled, but airlines are warning of longer security queues and have opened free date changes.
The strike
- Who: Staff of Certis, the company contracted to run security screening at Sydney Airport, backed by the Transport Workers’ Union (TWU).
- When: Friday, October 30, from 5:00am to 8:00am and from 4:30pm to 7:30pm Sydney time.
- Why: The union is seeking more full-time jobs, fairer rostering and no cuts to part-time hours.
- Background: Earlier walkouts took place in late September and on October 16.
- Sydney Airport’s position: The airport says it is “not a party to the negotiations” and is working with airlines to limit disruption. Certis says it remains committed to bargaining.
- Terminals: Sydney Airport has not said which terminals will be hit. Qantas says it expects “longer than normal security queues” and will open domestic Terminals 2 and 3 from 3:00am. The October 16 action affected both domestic and international terminals, so plan for queues at Terminal 1 as well.
Airline change policies
| Airline | What is offered for October 30 departures from Sydney |
|---|---|
| Qantas | Change fee waived on eligible flights booked before October 30: Qantas-operated flights from Terminal 3 and Jetstar-operated domestic flights with a Qantas flight number from Terminal 2. Move to October 29, 30 or 31 on the same route and cabin; a fare difference may apply. |
| Virgin Australia | Move to Thursday, October 29 or Saturday, October 31 with no change fee or fare difference in the same fare type. Partner-operated international flights: change fee waived, fare difference applies. Change at least 60 minutes before a Virgin flight, or 3 hours before a partner flight. |
| Jetstar | Move to an available flight between October 29 and 31 through Manage Booking at no extra cost. |
| Rex | Move to a Rex flight to the same destination on October 29 or 31 with no fee or fare difference, or take a travel credit. |
What it means for non-revs
- Avoid the two strike windows. Flights leaving between about 5:00am and 9:00am, and between 4:30pm and 8:30pm, carry the most risk of a long line at screening. A midday departure is the safer bet.
- Get to the airport early. Qantas is opening T2 and T3 from 3:00am. On standby you need to be through security and at the gate when names are called, so a long queue can cost you a seat even when the flight has room.
- Expect fuller flights on Thursday and Saturday. The free changes let ticketed passengers move to October 29 and 31, which can push up loads on those days and squeeze standby seats. Check loads close to departure.
- Watch for misconnects. If you are connecting in Sydney on Friday, leave plenty of time, especially between the domestic and international terminals.
- Carry on. A carry-on keeps you flexible if you need to switch to a later flight.
Sources
- Qantas, “Travel updates” — qantas.com
- Virgin Australia, “Important update for guests departing Sydney Airport” — virginaustralia.com
- Wego Travel Blog, “Sydney Airport Strike on 30 October 2026: Security Queue Times and Free Flight Changes” — blog.wego.com
- Travel Tourister, “Sydney Airport Security Strike Oct 30: Times, Free Changes” — traveltourister.com
- The Nightly, “Sydney airport strikes: Security workers to walk off the job, international, domestic delays expected” (background on the October 16 action) — thenightly.com.au
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