The first commercial passenger flight was a Jetstar service to the Gold Coast in the morning, with a Jetstar flight to Melbourne also departing in the afternoon. A flight from the Gold Coast to Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) was the first passenger flight to land at the airport just after 3pm.
The opening of the airport was attended by Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese as well as the federal transport minister, Catherine King, and the NSW premier, Chis Minns.
“For the first time in more than 50 years, Australia is opening a major new airport,” said Albanese.
“It’s a milestone that has been decades in the making and one that belongs to the people of Western Sydney.
“I’ve been a strong supporter of this project for a long time and I’m very proud to officially open it.”
WSI’s CEO, Simon Hickey, also noted the long road to yesterday’s opening.
“For decades, countless people have advocated for an airport in Western Sydney and the social and economic benefits it would provide,” he said.
“Today, that ambition will become a reality as we mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our city’s cultural heartland.
“WSI is the most transformational piece of infrastructure our nation has seen since the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
“It brings the world closer to Western Sydney and opportunity closer to home, creating new meaningful jobs for generations to come.
“Young people growing up in the west can now look to the sky and see their future is bright and right here, in their own backyard.
“WSI is here to grow with Sydney for the coming century, expand choice for travellers and airlines and connect more people with more places and opportunities.
“WSI’s passengers will be able to enjoy access to more than 250 destinations around the globe just over a year from now – a remarkable start for Sydney’s new 24-hour gateway.”
WSI’s operators expect the airport to become Australia’s largest international gateway in the decades ahead.
The first international flight to the airport – an Air New Zealand service from Auckland – landed this morning just before 7:30 and departed for its return flight to Auckland just after 9am.
“We’re bringing more aviation capacity and competition to the doorstep of one of Australia’s fastest-growing markets, giving international airlines room to grow and travellers from Western Sydney and beyond a modern, world-class, digitally enabled airport experience,” said Hickey regarding international services from WSI.
“Today is a fitting celebration of our two nations’ deep cultural and historical bonds, with the first international flight from our vibrant and diverse Western Sydney region to New Zealand’s largest city and commercial hub for tourism and trade.”
Singapore Airlines will be the second international carrier to begin services from WSI, with its first flight to touch down in Western Sydney on November 23 and begin the return journey to Singapore the same day.
Vietnamese carrier Vietjet will commence flights from WSI in January next year, with Fiji Airways to follow in March. Services to Bangkok on Vietjet Thailand will then start in November 2027 while Qatar Airways announced just last week that it will begin services between WSI and Doha in Qatar in December next year.
Following the announcement earlier this year that Australia will move to digital arrivals cards, WSI will become Australia’s first airport to offer a digital arrivals card for all international passengers flying into the airport.
