‘Mini-city’: Meet the 30,000 workers who power Australia’s busiest airport every day

Hidden from travellers, Sydney's airport workers operate intricate networks of conveyor belts, birdwatch with shotguns and sniff out contraband

Flying over the harbour and into Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, the dazzling view of blue ocean lapping at the city's heart makes the claustrophobia of a window seat tolerable.

For the 100,000-odd travellers who must endure some hectic combination of snaking queues, overpriced cafes, overweight bags and violated personal space before either arriving into or departing the city each day, the fleeting vista of a glistening Sydney stands out.