Up to 10 Jetstar planes and five from Qantas are earmarked for Western Sydney International Airport, which has plans to become Australia’s busiest, transiting 82 million passengers a year. When it opens in late 2026, it expects to be moving around 10 million travellers each year.
Qantas is estimating 700 staff will be needed to facilitate its presence in Western Sydney. Routes are expected to service destinations including Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
“In just over three years Qantas and Jetstar will take off from Western Sydney connecting one of Australia’s fastest growing areas through direct flights across the country,” said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.
“As we take delivery of more aircraft and expand our fleet, we see Western Sydney Airport as a significant growth opportunity for the Group, which will complement our existing operations in the Sydney basin and nationally.
“Western Sydney International Airport has some big strategic advantages with no curfew, technology that allows aircraft to be turned around quickly and a next-generation baggage system.
“Our data shows that more than two million trips per year are taken by people who live in the Western Sydney catchment so we know there will be demand for these flights from day one. Jetstar has a long history of stimulating demand when it starts flying to new destinations through low fares, so expect to see some great value travel options.”
Western Sydney International Airport opens up more options for business events in Sydney’s outer west, with Marriott International having already signed a contract to operate a 200-key Courtyard by Marriott property with around 750m2 of event space. The airport itself has a current proposal for a 10-storey 154-room hotel with a connected conference centre to be built in its new airport business precinct.
From a sustainability perspective, the airport and Qantas have agreed to work together to develop projects in Western Sydney to yield sustainable aviation fuel, which can cut carbon emissions by up to 80 per cent over the full lifecycle, compared to traditional jet fuel.
The airport’s CEO, Simon Hickey, said the agreement with Qantas sent a message to other global airlines about Western Sydney International Airport.
“This is a substantial Qantas and Jetstar presence at Sydney’s new major airport,” said Hickey.
“We’re enabling WSI with the latest technology, which will deliver an easier and more seamless travel experience.”
Construction on the airport is over 50 per cent complete. WSI has also signed an MoU with Virgin, which opens up discussions for Australia’s second major airline to commit to a presence in Western Sydney.
