Travellers at Australian airports have been issued a warning as the busiest period of the year gets into full swing.

The Australian Airports Association said the country’s busiest major airports were expected to welcome more than 23.4 million domestic and international passengers across December and January.

That includes 5.84 million forecast to travel through Sydney airport and more than three million through Brisbane. Melbourne is expecting more than 2.5 million international travellers in the same period.

Australian Federal Police acting aviation commander Josh Sinclair-Wadham said more than 500 uniformed officers would be highly visible during the peak travel period across the force’s nine designated airports.

“As passenger numbers continue to increase during the holiday period, the AFP will continue to surge to meet this requirement,” he said.

Along with Sydney and Brisbane, the other AFP-designated airports are Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, the Gold Coast and Perth.

The AFP said it had spent a combined 130,936 hours on proactive operations in 2025, up 28 per cent on 2024. It has responded to more than 21,000 incidents at the nine airports this year.

Sinclair-Wadham said 1160 people had been charged with 1364 offences, including drug-related offences, acts of violence and theft.

“The AFP remains committed to working closely with airports, airlines and security partners to ensure a safe travel experience for all Australians,” he said.

Police patrols will target intoxication, offensive and disruptive behaviour, as well as the possession of prohibited items such as illicit drugs and weapons.

“When we have more passengers than usual passing through our airports, combined with potentially longer waiting periods, is when we can see an increase in disruptive or anti-social behaviour,” Sinclair-Wadham said.

“The AFP is encouraging the travelling public to be patient with unexpected delays and follow advice from airlines and airports.

“This year we have seen examples of unacceptable behaviour by travellers on aircraft and at airports, and people who engage in this behaviour should take note. Anyone who breaks the law will be dealt with swiftly and will be brought before the courts.”

The message was echoed by airport management, who urged passengers to plan ahead and also allow time to get to the airport.

Sydney Airport has already passed its peak day for domestic travel, with 80,500 passengers on December 12. International volumes are expected to peak on January 3, with more than 65,000 travellers expected.

“This holiday season will be our busiest ever internationally. The most popular destinations include New Zealand, China, the US, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, with many passengers travelling to the Middle East or continuing on to Europe, Africa or Asia,” chief executive Scott Charlton said.

“With millions of people on the move, there may be some queues at peak periods, and the roads around the airport will be busy, but we will have additional staff in the terminals and kerbside every day during December and January to help passengers get away safely.”

Upgraded security is operating at Sydney’s T1 terminal. Photo: Sydney Airport

Upgrades started earlier in the year were now complete, including improved security screening at T1 and T2, new automatic bag drops, lifts and escalators at T2, and improved precinct operations.

The airport said domestic travellers with hand luggage should arrive an hour before departure, while those checking in bags should allow two hours. International passengers should aim to arrive three hours prior to departure, unless their airline had different guidance.

Brisbane Airport’s busiest day for domestic travel is expected to be January 26, with 56,700 passengers expected as people return home from holidays. The terminal’s all-time record is 64,200 passengers during the 2025 NRL grand final weekend.

“Traffic around the terminals, parking, check-in, bag drop, security screening and our shops will all be busier than usual, so arriving the normal 90 minutes before a domestic flight and three hours before an international has never been more important,” airport head of terminal operations Stacey Pollard said of the holiday period.

Australian Border Force Travel East Acting Commander Geoff Quinn said officers had surged into airports across Australia ahead of the expected jump in travellers.

“During this peak holiday period, tens of thousands of passengers arrive and depart Australia every single day. As you can appreciate, this sheer volume of travellers means some delays are inevitable,” he said.

“We stand shoulder to shoulder with our federal counterparts and all our airport partners in stamping out antisocial behaviour at our airports – officers should be able to go about their duties without a barrage of abuse.

“If things take a little longer than usual, please be patient and understanding with our officers; they’re working hard to get you on your way.

“We urge everyone to factor in some extra time getting to and from the airport, as traffic congestion around the airport precincts can also cause additional stress at passport control.”

Anyone who sees or hears something suspicious at Australia’s major airports can call the federal police’s Airport Watch on 131 237.