Quick summary
Two overlapping labour disputes run by the Transport Workers Union converged on Sydney Airport on September 24, 2026, with roughly 400 security screeners employed by Certis Security Australia staging two-hour stoppages and hundreds of Qantas ground workers walking out for 24 hours across Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. A further three-hour security screening stoppage is scheduled for September 28, extending the disruption window for anyone departing through SYD.
The Qantas ground action is concentrated on freight and selected regional operations, not mainline domestic or international flying. International passengers and anyone checking bags face the greatest screening exposure on September 28.
Sydney Airport is running two separate labour disputes simultaneously — and the harder one to predict is the one that affects every departing passenger regardless of airline.
Security screeners employed by Certis Security Australia stopped work twice on September 24, for two hours each time, pressing claims over pay, employment security and rostering. Those workers, about 400 of them, are covered by the Transport Workers Union, which also represents the Qantas ground staff who walked out the same day. A third stoppage — three hours this time — is locked in for September 28 unless a deal is reached before then.
The Qantas ground action ran for 24 hours on September 24 at four airports: Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth. Workers from Qantas Ground Services and Australian airExpress, plus some QantasLink ground staff based at Sydney, are seeking higher wages, greater job security and more guaranteed hours — the union says some employees currently have as few as 15 guaranteed hours per week.
Qantas told ABC that contingency planning was in place and that mainline domestic and international services were not expected to be affected. Sydney Airport has told passengers to arrive earlier than usual, monitor airline notifications and allow extra time for screening, noting that conditions can change during protected industrial action.
What the September 28 stoppage means for your departure
The security screening dispute is the broader passenger risk. Unlike the Qantas ground action — which targets freight and regional operations — a screening stoppage sits directly in the path of every traveller leaving Sydney’s terminals, regardless of which airline they’re flying or what class they’re in.
Sydney Airport’s security screening guidance sets baseline arrival times of one hour for domestic hand-luggage passengers, two hours for domestic passengers checking bags, and three hours for international departures. Those are ordinary-day recommendations. During protected industrial action, they are a floor, not a ceiling.
On September 24, Sydney Airport’s live wait-time display showed 0–5 minutes across T1, T2 and T3 — but the airport simultaneously warned that conditions could change at any point during the action. That gap between the live number and the operational reality is exactly the risk on September 28.
| Date | Action | Who is affected | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24 (morning) | Security screening stoppage — Certis/TWU | All SYD departures | 2 hours |
| Sep 24 (evening) | Security screening stoppage — Certis/TWU | All SYD departures | 2 hours |
| Sep 24 | Qantas ground worker strike — QGS, airExpress, QantasLink | Freight & regional at SYD, ADL, BNE, PER | 24 hours |
| Sep 28 | Security screening stoppage — Certis/TWU (scheduled) | All SYD departures | 3 hours |
The Fair Work Commission recorded a protected-action ballot in the Certis dispute earlier in September — the formal step under Australia’s Fair Work framework that signals bargaining has reached an impasse and clears the way for lawful stoppages. The Commission also has the power to suspend or terminate protected action where it is likely to cause significant economic harm, which is the mechanism that could avert the September 28 stoppage before it begins. The Fair Work Ombudsman’s guidance on industrial action outlines that process.
Certis says it is bargaining constructively and that its Sydney Airport employees are paid above the relevant industry award. The TWU’s position — that months of negotiations have not produced an agreement — is what drove the ballot in the first place.
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Two disputes, one union — and why the freight angle matters
The TWU running both disputes simultaneously is not coincidental. It concentrates bargaining pressure and public attention, but it also means the two actions have different passenger footprints that are worth separating clearly.
Airport security in Australia is delivered by contracted providers — not by the airport operator — so when screeners stop work, the disruption lands on every passenger in the terminal regardless of which airline they booked. That is structurally different from a ground-handling dispute, where the affected work is tied to specific carriers and specific operation types.
The Qantas ground action is narrower by design. Reuters confirmed the four-airport scope of the ground stoppage, while ABC’s reporting placed the concentration of the work among freight staff and selected regional personnel. Mainline Qantas trunk routes — the Sydney–Melbourne, Sydney–London, Sydney–Los Angeles services — were outside the action’s intended scope. That said, cargo delays at four airports can ripple into connecting freight schedules and regional timetables in ways that don’t show up in headline on-time statistics until a day or two later.
Steps to take before you leave for the airport
The September 28 stoppage is scheduled but not guaranteed — a deal at Certis or a Fair Work Commission intervention could avert it. Until one of those happens, treat it as live.
- Add buffer beyond the baseline: Sydney Airport’s three-hour international, two-hour checked-bag domestic and one-hour hand-luggage domestic recommendations are ordinary-day minimums. On September 28, add at least 30–45 minutes on top of whichever applies to your departure.
- Check the live screening page before you leave: Sydney Airport’s security screening page shows current wait times and will carry any updated guidance if the stoppage timing shifts or is called off.
- Monitor your airline’s notifications: Sydney Airport is directing passengers to follow airline communications — turn on push notifications for your carrier’s app and check flight status within two hours of departure.
- QantasLink and regional passengers: Confirm operating status directly with Qantas before heading to the airport. The ground action targeted selected regional operations; if your service runs through Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane or Perth, a direct call or the Qantas app is more reliable than the general departure board.
- Freight and cargo customers: Do not rely on the passenger timetable for acceptance and delivery estimates. Contact Qantas Freight directly for a revised schedule — cargo movements at all four affected airports should be treated as uncertain until confirmed.
Watch: Whether the Fair Work Commission moves to suspend the September 28 screening stoppage before it begins — or whether Certis and the TWU reach an agreement in the next 72 hours. Either development would remove the main remaining risk for SYD departures that day. No resolution by the morning of September 28 means the stoppage proceeds as scheduled.
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Questions? Answers.
Does the September 28 security stoppage affect all terminals at Sydney Airport?
Security screening at Sydney Airport is operated by Certis Security Australia across the terminals. The industrial action covers Certis employees at Sydney Airport broadly, so all departure terminals should be treated as potentially affected. Check Sydney Airport’s live screening page on the morning of September 28 for any terminal-specific updates.
Are Qantas mainline flights — including international services — affected by the ground worker strike?
Qantas told ABC that its contingency planning was designed to prevent significant customer disruption and that mainline domestic and international services were not expected to be affected. The ground action was concentrated on freight operations and selected regional services run by Qantas Ground Services, Australian airExpress and some QantasLink ground staff. Passengers on Qantas trunk routes should still monitor flight status, but the direct operational risk sits with regional and cargo movements.
What happens if my flight is delayed or cancelled because of the industrial action?
Australian Consumer Law does not provide fixed compensation payments for delays caused by industrial action — airlines generally treat strikes as outside their control. You are entitled to a rebooking on the next available service or a refund if your flight is cancelled or significantly delayed. Ask the airline directly; the entitlement exists but is not always offered automatically. International passengers should also check whether their long-haul carrier has its own disruption rebooking policy that applies independently.
Could the two disputes — security screeners and Qantas ground workers — escalate or merge?
Both disputes are run by the Transport Workers Union, but they involve different employers: Certis Security Australia for the screeners and Qantas Ground Services and Australian airExpress for the ground workers. The bargaining tracks are separate, and resolution at one would not automatically resolve the other. The Fair Work Commission has the power to suspend or terminate protected action in either dispute if it determines the action is causing significant economic harm.
