Government Airport Transfers in Australia: Federal and NSW Rules, Options and Booking Guide

Simon Kalipciyan, 9 October 2026

Quick answer: Government airport transfers in Australia are booked through whole-of-government travel arrangements rather than ad hoc. Commonwealth (federal) employees book travel, car rental and chauffeur or limousine reservations through Corporate Travel Management (CTM), with Hertz as the sole vehicle rental provider. NSW Government employees book through FCM Travel Solutions under Contract 1008, with Avis, Hertz and Budget as the approved car hire suppliers. Taxis, regulated rideshare, private vehicles and chauffeur services are allowed in set circumstances, and ministerial, judicial and diplomatic movements usually need a specialist chauffeur with protocol-trained drivers. Always check your own entity's travel policy first.

If you book travel for a department, a minister's office, an embassy or a visiting delegation, the airport run is rarely as simple as calling a cab. There is a mandated booking channel, rules about when a taxi or private car is reimbursable, and, for senior officials, expectations around discretion and timing. This guide pulls the federal and NSW rules into one place, explains every transport option and shows when a pre-booked chauffeur is the right choice.

Key takeaways

• About 150 Commonwealth entities use the Whole of Australian Government (WoAG) Travel Arrangements, managed by the Department of Finance
• CTM is the sole Travel Management Services provider for the Australian Government, and its services include chauffeur and limousine reservations
• Hertz is the sole provider of vehicle rental services to the Australian Government
• Parliamentary staff are covered by IPEA rules: tolls and parking can be reimbursed, long-stay airport parking is expected and valet parking is not reimbursed
• All NSW Government agencies must book travel through FCM, and car hire must be booked through FCM rather than directly with Avis, Hertz or Budget
• Ministerial, judicial and diplomatic transfers call for protocol-aware chauffeurs, a single coordinator and discreet vehicles

Arranging transport for officials, a delegation or a visiting dignitary?
Talk to a coordinator who handles protocol transfers every week. See our diplomatic and dignitary chauffeur services or get an instant quote.

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is written for the people who actually organise government ground transport:

• Travel bookers and Entity Travel Teams in Commonwealth departments and agencies
• Executive Assistants and chiefs of staff booking for senior executives, ministers and parliamentarians
• NSW Government travel coordinators working under the NSW Travel and Transport Policy
• Protocol officers, embassies and consulates moving diplomats and visiting delegations
• Event organisers and contractors hosting officials at conferences, summits and official functions

Federal Government Airport Transfers: How the Commonwealth Arrangements Work

Commonwealth travel runs through the Whole of Australian Government Travel Arrangements, a set of coordinated procurements managed by the Department of Finance. Finance says the arrangements involve approximately 150 participating entities and over 20 suppliers, grouped into five components.

Source: Department of Finance, Whole of Australian Government Travel Arrangements.

Booking through CTM

Corporate Travel Management (CTM) is the sole provider of Travel Management Services for the Australian Government. Under the current deed, which commenced on 1 July 2023, CTM provides booking services for air, hotel, bus, sea, rail and car rental, ground transport services including chauffeur and limousine reservations, 24/7 traveller support and VIP programs. Bookers can use CTM's online booking tool, cytric, or book offline with a CTM consultant for complex itineraries and group bookings. Finance reminds travellers to check their entity's travel policies and Accountability Authority Instructions (AAIs) before booking. Details are on the Finance Book page.

Car rental for airport pickups: Hertz

If an official needs a self-drive car from the airport, Hertz is the sole provider of vehicle rental services to the Australian Government. Rentals can be booked through CTM or the Hertz government portal, and Hertz's Counter Express service lets pre-booked government travellers skip the counter at selected major airports.

Parliamentary staff: IPEA rules on taxis, parking and tolls

Staff employed under the Members of Parliament (Staff) Act 1984 have their travel administered by the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority (IPEA). Key points for airport travel:

• Cabcharge cards can be provided for taxi travel on request of the employing parliamentarian.
• Car transport, including taxis and regulated rideshare, is generally available on official business where scheduled public transport is not readily available, or where the employee is carrying luggage.
• Tolls and parking can be reimbursed for authorised official travel. IPEA generally expects long-stay parking to be used at an airport for full reimbursement, and valet parking is not reimbursed.
• Private vehicle use directed by the parliamentarian attracts motor vehicle allowance.
• Flights and accommodation are booked through CTM using a Travel Profile Number, and claims can be lodged through PEMS.

NSW Government Airport Transfers: Contract 1008, FCM and Car Hire

NSW Government travel is governed by the NSW Government Travel and Transport Policy, which covers all official air and land travel by public officials using public money and requires all travel to be booked through the contracted travel management company.

FCM Travel Solutions under Contract 1008

FCM Travel Solutions supplies travel management services to the whole of NSW Government under Contract 1008, Travel Management Services. The contract is mandatory: all NSW Government agencies are eligible to use it and must use it. Bookings are made through the FCM Portal or FCM's Australian consultants, and the online booking tool also flags non-compliance with NSW travel policy.

Approved car hire: Avis, Hertz and Budget

Under the Short-Term Rental of Motor Vehicles contract, the approved car hire suppliers are Avis, Hertz and Budget. Agencies must book through FCM rather than booking directly with suppliers or setting up separate accounts, and the NSW Government rates include insurance cover.

Driving your own car to the airport

Under the NSW Public Service Industrial Relations Guide, if an employee uses their private vehicle to travel to and from an airport for approved travel, the Agency Head may approve an allowance at the casual rate for that journey. Parking and toll treatment follows the Conditions Award and your agency's policy, so confirm before you leave the car at the terminal.

Chauffeured transfers for NSW officials

Chauffeured ground transport for NSW officials is generally arranged through the agency's travel coordinator in line with the Travel and Transport Policy. For hosted events, delegations or contracted services, agencies also source suppliers through NSW Government procurement channels. Whatever the channel, the operator should hold the right NSW point to point authorisation (more on that below).

Getting to Sydney's Airports on Public Transport

Public transport is the default for many official trips. Key facts from Transport for NSW:

• T8 Airport & South Line services run to the Domestic and International stations every day between 5am and midnight.
• A station access fee applies at the two airport stations. If you travel to or from the airport by train more than twice in a week, a weekly cap on the station access fee applies. The fee is not included in the normal Opal daily or weekly caps.
• From 3 November 2025, Transport for NSW began trialling flat taxi fares for uninterrupted trips from Sydney Airport to the Sydney CBD. Check the current status before relying on it.

Western Sydney International (WSI) opens to passengers on 25 October 2026. The NSW Government has announced a free interim bus between the airport and St Marys, about 15 minutes, connecting to the T1 Western Line, until the Sydney Metro airport line opens. For officials based in Parramatta, Penrith or the west, see our Western Sydney Airport transfers.

Government Airport Transport Options Compared

Here is how the main options compare for official travel. Your entity's policy decides which are allowed and reimbursable.

Ministerial, Judicial and Diplomatic Airport Transfers

High-profile movements need more than a car and a driver. When the passenger is a minister, a judge, an ambassador or a visiting head of delegation, the transfer is part of the official program, and a late or poorly briefed pickup reflects on the host.

What a specialist official transport provider should offer:

• A single coordinator who owns the itinerary and works with departmental transport officers or protocol staff
• Protocol-aware chauffeurs briefed on timing, seating precedence and confidentiality for each movement
• Flight-tracked airport pickups with meet and greet inside the terminal
• Discreet, late-model vehicles, including unbranded options, and GPS tracking
• Multi-vehicle coordination for delegations, with synchronised arrivals at Parliament House, chanceries, consulates and venues
• Police-checked drivers and proper commercial passenger insurance
• 24/7 availability for early departures and schedule changes

Most official visits move through Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne. Our Canberra diplomatic chauffeur service covers Canberra Airport, the embassy precinct and Parliament House, alongside Sydney and Melbourne. For a step-by-step planning guide, read how to organise diplomatic and dignitary transport in Australia.

How to Book a Government Airport Transfer: Step by Step

1. Confirm your jurisdiction. Federal (Commonwealth) entities use the WoAG arrangements; NSW agencies use Contract 1008 and FCM. Other states and territories run their own arrangements.
2. Check your entity's policy and AAIs. They set which transport types are allowed, who approves them and what is reimbursable.
3. Choose the transfer type. Public transport, taxi or rideshare reimbursement, a hire car, or a chauffeur or VIP transfer.
4. Book through the right channel. CTM or FCM for standard travel; a specialist provider for protocol movements where your policy permits.
5. Share the flight number. Flight tracking keeps the pickup on time if the flight lands early or late.
6. Keep the paperwork. Tax invoices with tolls and parking itemised make acquittal and reimbursement straightforward.

Checking a Chauffeur Provider for Official Travel

Before engaging any operator for official or protocol travel, check:

• Authorisation: in NSW, booked hire vehicles are regulated by the Point to Point Transport Commissioner.
• Insurance: current commercial passenger vehicle insurance.
• Driver screening: police checks and, where relevant, Working with Children Checks.
• Records and privacy: how passenger names, routes and schedules are stored and who can see them.
• Invoicing: tax invoices that fit your acquittal process.
• Coverage: whether one account covers every city on the itinerary.

Where Cars on Demand Fits

Cars on Demand is not the WoAG or NSW travel management company, and federal and NSW travellers should always follow their entity's mandated channels. Where a policy permits a direct booking, or where the organiser sits outside those arrangements, such as a foreign embassy or consulate, an event organiser hosting officials or a contractor supporting a program, we provide:

• Chauffeured airport transfers since 1990, with around 1,500 drivers nationally and a 99.99% on-time reliability record
• Flight tracking through our RideMinder airport transfer technology, powered by Cirium aviation data, and meet and greet at our airport meeting points
• HC-plated vehicles in Sydney that can use signposted bus and transit lanes under the NSW road rules
• A fixed price confirmed at booking, with tolls passed through at cost and itemised on your tax invoice
• Corporate accounts trusted by Executive Assistants, with multiple authorised bookers
• Sedans, SUVs, people movers and minibuses in our fleet for single officials through to delegations

We cover airport transfers in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Darwin, the Gold Coast, Cairns and the Sunshine Coast.

Planning an official visit or delegation?
Speak to our diplomatic transport team, get an instant quote or open an account. Call 1300 638 258, 24/7.

Frequently Asked Questions About Government Airport Transfers

Who books airport transfers for federal government employees?

Commonwealth entities in the Whole of Australian Government Travel Arrangements book through Corporate Travel Management (CTM), the sole Travel Management Services provider. CTM's services include ground transport, including chauffeur and limousine reservations. Check your entity's travel policy and AAIs first.

Who is the car rental supplier for the Australian Government?

Hertz is the sole provider of vehicle rental services to the Australian Government under the WoAG arrangement. Rentals can be booked through CTM or the Hertz government portal.

Can federal parliamentary staff use a taxi or Uber to the airport?

Under IPEA rules, car transport including taxis and regulated rideshare is generally available on official business where scheduled public transport is not readily available, or where the employee is carrying luggage. Cabcharge cards can be issued on request of the employing parliamentarian.

Is airport parking reimbursed for government staff?

For parliamentary staff, IPEA can reimburse tolls and parking for authorised official travel. Long-stay parking is generally expected at airports for full reimbursement, and valet parking is not reimbursed. Other entities set their own rules.

Which travel agent do NSW Government employees use?

All NSW Government agencies must book travel through FCM Travel Solutions under the mandatory Contract 1008, Travel Management Services.

Which car hire companies can NSW Government employees use?

Avis, Hertz and Budget are the approved suppliers under the NSW Short-Term Rental of Motor Vehicles contract. Bookings must go through FCM rather than directly with the supplier.

Can NSW public servants claim for driving to the airport?

Yes, with approval. The Agency Head may approve a private motor vehicle allowance at the casual rate for travel to and from an airport for approved travel.

How do you book transport for a visiting diplomat or minister?

Use a specialist chauffeur provider with protocol-trained drivers, a single coordinator, flight-tracked pickups and discreet vehicles, booked through the channel your policy permits. Embassies and event organisers can usually book directly.

Is there a free bus to Western Sydney International Airport?

The NSW Government has announced a free interim bus between Western Sydney International and St Marys station, taking about 15 minutes, until the Sydney Metro airport line opens.

Related reading: How to organise diplomatic and dignitary transport | HC plates and bus lanes explained | All Cars on Demand blog posts

This guide summarises publicly available information from the Department of Finance, IPEA, NSW Procurement, NSW Industrial Relations and Transport for NSW as at October 2026. It is general information only, not travel policy advice. Arrangements change, so always follow your own entity's current travel policy and Accountability Authority Instructions.