While it is fairly common for airports to open new terminals, it is rare for a whole new international airport to open. After all, airports require a lot of vacant land, and that can be hard to find near large, popular centers.
With that in mind, Sydney will be getting a second major airport in a few years, and in this post I wanted to take a closer look at what we know so far. This is a good time to do so, as we’ve also just learned which first international airline plans to fly to the airport.
What is Western Sydney Airport?
Scheduled to open in late 2026, Western Sydney Airport (WSI) is a long-overdue alternative to Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD). Here are some of the key things you should know about the new airport, which will cost AUD$5.3 billion:
- The airport will be located 44 kilometres from Sydney’s central business district in the suburbs of Luddenham and Badgerys Creek and will have a rail connection to Sydney.
- The airport will have a runway of over 12,000 feet, allowing it to accommodate any commercial aircraft in service, including the Airbus A380.
- There will be no curfew at the airport, meaning it will operate 24 hours a day, unlike the existing Sydney Airport, which has a curfew from 11pm to 6am.
- The airport will initially have a single terminal and runway and a capacity of 10 million passengers per year, but there are plans to eventually expand it to have four terminals and two runways and be able to handle up to 82 million passengers per year.
- The idea behind the airport is that Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport is reaching its capacity and there are also several million residents west of Sydney, so this airport would be convenient for them.
Which airlines fly to Western Sydney Airport?
Western Sydney Airport is just over two years away from opening. Which airlines are planning to operate flights there? Qantas and Jetstar have already committed to operating domestic flights from the airport. The plan is for Qantas to base five jets there and low-cost carrier Jetstar to base ten jets. I imagine Virgin Australia will also fly to the airport, but they have not made a final decision yet.
But what about international flights? Here’s an exciting update. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Singapore Airlines is the first airline to commit to offering international flights to the airport, and plans to begin flights from late 2026. Presumably, this will complement the airline’s up to five daily flights to Sydney’s other airport, some of which will be operated with A380s.
It is not yet known how frequently Singapore Airlines will fly to the airport, what the flight schedule will look like and which aircraft the airline will use.
I imagine there will be a number of international airlines offering flights to Western Sydney Airport, although there will definitely be some compromises here. A few thoughts:
- Operating from a single airport is more efficient in terms of staff, irregular operations, connectivity and more, so I imagine some airlines will avoid splitting operations between the two airports.
- I imagine the lack of a curfew will be very attractive to some Gulf airlines as they are currently operating some flights that violate Sydney’s curfew.
- With Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport expected to reach capacity in a few years, airlines will eventually have no choice but to fly to Western Sydney Airport.
Conclusion
The opening of Western Sydney Airport is not far off and should bring much-needed competition to the region. The airport will open in late 2026 and will initially handle up to 10 million passengers per year. However, over the years the airport could grow even larger and is expected to eventually handle up to 82 million passengers per year.
As for airlines, we know that Qantas and Jetstar are planning to fly into the airport, and we also now know that Singapore Airlines is planning to be the first international carrier at the airport. I’m excited to see what other airlines announce similar plans in the near future.
What do you think of Western Sydney Airport and how popular do you think it will be with foreign airlines?
