Monday 6 September 2021

1962: TAA Terminal opens at Sydney Airport

TAA Terminal May 16 1962 daily mirror 14

Source: Trans Australia Airlines. 1962. "TAA opens new, Jet-Age Sydney Airport Terminal" (Advertisement). The Daily Mirror, May 16 1962: 14. 

Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) was an airline established by the Federal Government in 1946 to operate domestic passenger services within Australia. It operated under this name until 1986 when it was renamed Australian Airlines and was merged with Qantas in 1993.

In 1962, TAA undertook a significant upgrade of its terminal at Sydney Airport at a cost of £150 000 ($300 000) which doubled the space of the terminal and improved passenger comfort and capacity. The new layout separated departures from arrivals along with an upgraded baggage handling system. Passengers waiting for flights could purchase a meal, snack or drink from a coffee shop or buffet. In addition there was an airconditioned dining room for passengers and visitors awith a flight deck to view arriving or departing aircraft.

Also the new terminal had a new phone service where passengers could be paged and receive phonecalls at points located around the terminal.

Sydney Airport - 2021 - Google Maps - 1962 TAA Terminal Building
Above: The 1962 TAA Terminal Building as viewed from above on Google Maps, which is currently part of the Qantas (T3) Terminal. 

The Terminal was located in what is now the southern end of the T3 (Qantas) Terminal. In 1974, the terminal was handed over to East-West Airlines after TAA opened a new terminal next to the building on its northern side. However it was intergrated into the T3 Terminal. Gates 18 and 19 are located at the rear of the building. 

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