Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) will officially welcome passengers for the first time on October 25, marking the end of 15 years of planning, seven years of construction and a full year of operational testing.
Jetstar will operate the airport’s first commercial passenger service, with an Airbus A320 scheduled to depart for the Gold Coast at 11am. Before passenger flights begin, WSI will launch freight operations on July 26, with Qantas Freight commencing regular services the following day.
From November 1, the airport is expected to take advantage of one of its biggest competitive strengths it is not subject to the 11pm-6am curfew that restricts operations at Sydney Airport in Mascot. Located at Badgerys Creek, 44 kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD, the new domestic and international terminal is designed to handle up to 10 million passengers annually.
So far, four airlines have confirmed operations from WSI: Jetstar, Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand. Jetstar will launch with up to 14 weekly flights to Melbourne, four to the Gold Coast and three to Brisbane. Qantas will begin services on March 28, offering four weekly flights to both Brisbane and Melbourne. Singapore Airlines will introduce daily flights to Changi starting November 23, while Air New Zealand will begin Auckland services on October 26.
While more than 50 airlines currently operate through Sydney Airport at Mascot, WSI is expected to become a major hub in its own right. With Western Sydney now Australia’s third‑largest economy and home to nearly half of Sydney’s population, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the new airport was long overdue. “It wasn’t a matter of if Sydney needed a new airport, but when,” he said, thanking the tens of thousands of workers involved in planning, building and testing the facility.
+ There are no comments
Add yours