Sound of silence as Sydney Airport cuts announcements

International passengers going through Sydney Airport will need to keep a closer eye on departure screens from September 17 as management cuts the number of public address announcements. The cuts, dubbed a “quiet terminal” initiative, means only essential announcements -- basically emergency messages -- will be broadcast beyond gate areas. The airport says the change will see it join other leading airports — including Singapore’s Changi, Dubai, Hong Kong and Helsinki  — to have embraced similar initiatives. Read: Ryanair expects 26m pax in record London summer schedule. “Passengers will now be able to relax without being interrupted by constant announcements,” Sydney Airport chief executive Geoff Culbert said. “We’re always looking at how we can make the airport experience even more enjoyable for our passengers. This initiative leapt out as one that would make an immediate and material difference and would align us with the practices of the best airports globally.” Passengers will still be told their gates or boarding time at check-in and Culbert said the airport had worked hard with airlines and others to ensure it had struck the right balance in terms of ensuring passengers had the right information to get them to their gate on time. This included up-to-date flight information on display screens and e-directories around the terminal. Passengers could also approach airport information desks or check the status of their flight through the Sydney Airport website as well as on  Facebook and Twitter, the airport said. Sydney Airport also hit the news on Wednesday when New South Wales Government on announced a plan to address the airport’s notorious traffic congestion through a $A2.2 to $A2.6 billion link to the city’s motorway system. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian predicted the Sydney Gateway project, slated to open in 2023, would slash travel times to the airport from the Western Sydney suburb of Parramatta by 40 minutes. The government said the link would be toll-free.