Sydney opened its second major airport on Sunday after more than four decades of planning and A$6 billion in investment.
The Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), also known as Nancy-Bird Walton, lies 45 to 60 kilometres from the city centre, far beyond the existing Kingsford Smith Airport just 8 kilometres away. Unlike the older facility, which closes to most passenger flights at 23:00 each night, the new airport operates around the clock .
Construction began in 2018 on the site at Badgerys Creek, selected in 2014 after a political debate stretching back to 1946. The build took seven years, a pace noted as rapid by Rico Merkert of the University of Sydney, who contrasted it with Berlin’s 14-year BER project .
The first commercial passenger flight, Jetstar JQ362 to Gold Coast, departed at 11:00 local time on Sunday with Greek-Australian pilot Aglaia Papadokokolaki at the controls. She called the day “absolutely surreal” and a career highlight .
Initial service is modest: Cirium data cited by Bloomberg show an average of six or fewer daily flights in the first year. Jetstar, a Qantas subsidiary, is the primary operator, with Air New Zealand, Vietjet, Fiji Airways and Singapore Airlines also scheduled. Qatar Airways is expected to join in 2027. Direct routes to Auckland, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City and Nadi are planned, some starting after 1 December .
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the opening “an absolutely excellent day” and said the airport would be the best in the country .
A planned rail link to the city is not yet complete, so passengers must rely on buses and shuttles for now .
