Sydney Airport launches one of the largest food and beverage RFP in the history of the airport

Sydney Airport has unveiled one of the largest Food & Beverage Request for Proposal (RFP) in its history, marking a major milestone in the transformation of the passenger experience.

This includes more than 3,000 square metres of potential retail F&B opportunity and a total of 20 sites at both the T1 international and T2 domestic terminals.

Hospitality and food and beverage brands are being invited to present bold and innovative concepts that reflect evolving passenger expectations, global dining trends, and the unique cultural identity of Sydney and Australia.

Mark Zaouk, Sydney Airport’s Group Executive Commercial, said: “This is a rare opportunity for hospitality operators to be part of what’s next for dining at Sydney Airport.

“We want to lift the bar with great food and drink options that really reflect Sydney and stand up on a global stage. With the level of engaged passengers we see at Sydney Airport, there’s a real opportunity for partners to grow their brand and deliver strong results.”

Designed for scale, growth and impact

T1 International serves more than 18 million international passengers each year and continues to experience strong growth with Q1 representing the strongest first quarter for international travel in the airport’s history, with 4.57 million international passengers coming through its terminals in Q1 2026, representing 5.8% growth on Q1 2025.

With average dwell times exceeding two hours, the terminal provides a highly valuable environment for food and beverage engagement.

T2 Domestic, one of Australia’s busiest domestic terminals, delivers high-frequency passenger traffic, with 76 percent of travellers spending over an hour airside – creating strong and consistent trading conditions.

Together, T1 and T2 serve millions of passengers annually, creating one of Australia’s most productive airport retail environments.

A call for visionary partners

Sydney Airport is seeking best-in-class hospitality partners who bring:

• Proven large-scale operational capability
• Strong brand identity and customer appeal
• Innovation in menu design, service and experience
• Data-led and commercially astute approaches
• A commitment to sustainability and operational excellence
• A collaborative, long-term partnership mindset

The airport is particularly focused on partners who can deliver memorable, sense-of-place dining experiences that resonate with both international and domestic travellers.

In line with its broader retail strategy, Sydney Airport is encouraging flexible and visionary approaches to the F&B mix, including innovative commercial models and precinct-based concepts.

Interested proponents are invited to register their interest and access the RFP documentation by emailing joann.chung@syd.com.au. Renders available here