It comes after the federal government performed a U-turn on Monday and said those arriving from China would be required to show proof they didn’t currently have the virus. The decision followed similar moves by countries including the UK, US and Italy.
Sydney Airport's CEO, Geoff Culbert, has argued there is “a lot of work to do” to convince international airlines to rebuild their networks and then to convince tourists to return.
So far, delays and cancellations appear to be just a fraction of what they were earlier this year, with Flightradar reporting good service at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
The dispute is between security firm ISS and the United Workers Union, rather than the airports, but will cause major disruption given the union members are necessary to process passengers travelling through terminals.
Chief executive Lorie Argus has asked passengers to be “patient and respectful” to newly hired recruits dealing with the Christmas surge.
The ground handling firm appeared to confirm the authenticity of the footage that went viral on social media over the weekend, branding the incident “disrespectful” and unacceptable”.