Sydney’s new international airport opens to passengers
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The new Western Sydney International Airport will operate 24 hours a day, whereas the current airport can host take-offs and landings only until 11pm and after 6am local time.
PHOTO: AFP
SYDNEY – Sydney’s new A$5.6 billion (S$5.04 billion) airport opened to passengers on Oct 25 after more than a decade of planning, in what Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said was a milestone for the country’s most populous city.
The new Western Sydney International Airport in Badgerys Creek, about 60km west of central Sydney, will operate 24 hours a day, giving airlines access to a fast-growing and ethnically diverse population centre.
The current airport, located closer to Sydney’s central business district, can host take-offs and landings only until 11pm and after 6am local time, limiting airline scheduling options relative to other major Australian cities like Melbourne.
“For the first time in more than 50 years, Australia is opening a major new airport. It’s a milestone that has been decades in the making,” Albanese said in a statement.
“I’m very proud to officially open it,” he said.
Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese unveiling a commemorative plaque at the opening of the Western Sydney International Airport on Oct 25.
PHOTO: AFP
Qantas’ budget arm Jetstar was due to operate the first outbound flight to the Gold Coast on Oct 25, the airport said in a statement. The airport has capacity for more than 80 million passenger movements annually, it said.
The start of passenger services comes after cargo flights began at the facility in July.
Located on a 1,780ha site purchased by the federal government in the 1980s, the airport was completed in July 2025 after a seven-year build and 15 years of planning. REUTERS