Western Sydney airport opens with capacity for 10 million passengers a year
Western Sydney International began passenger services with Jetstar domestic flights on October 25. The new airport initially has capacity for 10 million passengers a year and operates around the clock. Auckland is its first scheduled international destination, while a Metro connection is due in 2027 and additional airlines will introduce routes in stages.
Economics & Markets··Midday
Jetstar inaugurates passenger flights
Western Sydney International, the new airport serving the western part of Australia’s largest city, opened to passengers on October 25. Jetstar, the Australian low-fare airline, operated the inaugural domestic services to the Gold Coast and Melbourne. The first Gold Coast flight used an Airbus A320. The airport also carries the name of Australian aviator Nancy-Bird Walton.[1], [2]
The opening gives Western Sydney an airport roughly 50 kilometres west of the city centre. Initial capacity is 10 million passengers annually, with a long-term design allowing expansion beyond 80 million. Domestic and international passengers use one terminal. Round-the-clock operations give airlines flexibility in scheduling services, while passenger numbers can grow as more routes begin.[1]
International services will build up in stages
Air New Zealand is scheduled to begin international passenger operations with an Auckland service on October 26. Singapore Airlines is due to start on November 23, followed by Vietjet in January 2027 and Fiji Airways in March 2027. Qantas plans passenger services from March 2027; Qatar Airways is scheduled for December 2027. The Qantas Group already operates freight services following the cargo precinct’s July opening.[1]
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said the additional capacity could increase competition and put downward pressure on fares. Jetstar chief executive Stephanie Tully said it brought low-fare flights closer to Western Sydney residents. The Metro connection is scheduled to open in 2027, so passenger services begin ahead of the railway link.[1]
Decades of planning precede the opening
The Badgerys Creek site was designated for Sydney’s second major airport in 1986. According to the Australian government, the project involved 15 years of planning, seven years of construction and a year of testing. More than 13,000 people worked on the broader airport precinct, over half of them Western Sydney residents. The airport is part of a wider 18 billion Australian dollar investment programme that also includes rail and road improvements. Terminal construction required more than nine million working hours. Passengers have access to more than 40 check-in kiosks and 34 bag-drop kiosks. The wider investment programme includes improvements to Elizabeth Drive, Fifteenth Avenue and Mamre Road, alongside the future Sydney Metro airport rail connection.[2]
