Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) will officially welcome its first passengers on October 25, 2026, marking a major milestone after 15 years of planning, seven years of construction and a year of operational testing.
Australia’s newest full-service airport will operate without a curfew and provide domestic, international and freight services, serving one of the country’s fastest-growing economic regions. Designed to handle up to 10 million passengers annually in its initial phase, the airport has been built with capacity for future expansion.
Jetstar will operate the airport’s first commercial passenger flight, with an Airbus A320 departing for the Gold Coast at 11 a.m. on October 25. From launch, the airline will operate up to 14 weekly services to Melbourne, four weekly flights to the Gold Coast and three weekly flights to Brisbane.
Qantas will commence operations from WSI on March 28, 2027, offering four weekly flights each to Brisbane and Melbourne using QantasLink Embraer E190 aircraft.
International services will begin shortly after the airport opens. Air New Zealand will launch flights between Auckland and Western Sydney on October 26, while Singapore Airlines will commence daily services between Singapore Changi Airport and WSI from November 23, 2026.
Freight operations will begin earlier, with cargo services commencing on July 26, 2026. Qantas Freight will operate its first regular flights to and from the airport the following day.
The airport forms the centrepiece of the Australian Government’s nearly AUD 18 billion investment in Western Sydney, which includes major road upgrades and the future Sydney Metro Airport rail connection. The project has already generated more than 12,800 jobs, with approximately half of those positions filled by local workers. More than AUD 500 million in contracts have also been awarded to over 360 Western Sydney-based businesses during construction.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “In 2011, I commissioned a joint study with the NSW Government into how we’d deliver a second airport. I said at the time, it wasn’t ‘a matter of if Sydney needed a new airport, but when; 15 years later, this new airport is almost ready to open. I want to thank the tens of thousands of people who over the years planned, built and are now testing Western Sydney International Airport and the surrounding infrastructure right here in Western Sydney.”
Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, said, “This is a big moment for Sydney, with passenger flights at Western Sydney Airport commencing in just 137 days. With the new Nancy-Bird Walton Terminal, and brand-new cargo and business precincts readying to open, this won’t just be the centre of travel in Western Sydney, but also jobs.”
