'Allow extra time': 12.8 million travellers expected at airports this Christmas

"Allow extra time," a Melbourne Airport spokesperson warns passengers this Christmas and New Year.

A record 12.8 million passengers are scheduled to travel through Australia's two major airports - Melbourne and Sydney - during the festive season.

But the busiest day depends on where you're travelling from.

Friday, December 19 is forecast to be the busiest day for passengers through the Melbourne International Airport, with more than 127,000 people expected through the terminals.

"Fridays are set to be the busiest days of travel across the summer break but for travellers wanting to beat the crowds, Saturdays are forecast to be the quietest day of the week for travellers," a Melbourne Airport spokesperson told Explore.

The airport is expecting its busiest summer on record with more than seven million travellers forecast across December and January.

More than 2.5 million of these are tipped to be international travellers, as three new airlines start travelling from Melbourne in time for Christmas: Delta Air Lines, Hong Kong Airlines and Shenzhen Airlines. Virgin Australia also returned to long-haul flying with partner Qatar Airways in December.

Major construction works are being undertaken on two new elevated roads around Melbourne Airport. Construction will be scaled back during Christmas but the airport is still expected to be "very busy", the spokesperson warned.

"Take the stress out of your travel this summer by planning ahead, book parking online and allow extra time," they said.

Sydney Airport is also looking to break records this summer, forecasting 5.84 million passengers during the Christmas and New Year period.

It is tipped to be the busiest season for international travel ever with 2.7 million international passengers and 3.14 million domestic passengers expected.

The peak day for domestic travel at Sydney Airport will be December 12, 2025, while the busiest day for international travel will be January 3, 2026.

Sydney Airport chief executive, Scott Charlton, asked passengers to allow plenty of time for their journey to the airport.

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"This holiday season will be our busiest ever internationally. The most popular destinations include New Zealand, China, the United States, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, with many passengers travelling to the Middle East or continuing on to Europe, Africa or Asia," Mr 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 everyday during December and January to help passengers get away safely."

Sydney Airport has also been undergoing upgrades, which will continue through Christmas.

There are new security screening at most terminals, designed to move passengers through screening in less than 10 minutes.

The international terminal has 15 new security lanes and advanced screening across all three terminals allows passengers to keep laptops and aerosols in their bags.