Full Breakdown
Western Sydney International Airport Opens to Passengers, Marking Australia’s First New Major Airport in Over 50 Years
By Drooid · · How we work
Opening Day and First Commercial Flight
On October 25, 2026, Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), also known as the Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, began passenger operations. Jetstar flight JQ362, an Airbus A320 Neo to the Gold Coast, carried 188 passengers, including 30 media and VIP seats that sold out within 45 minutes. The aircraft departed the single runway at about 11 a.m. AEDT and arrived on the Gold Coast shortly after the scheduled 2 p.m. Queensland time. A return flight landed later that day, followed by a domestic service to Melbourne in the evening.
Background & Context
The airport sits on a 1,780-hectare greenfield site at Badgerys Creek, roughly 60 km west of Sydney’s CBD. The federal government acquired the land in the 1980s; construction began in 2014 and the terminal was completed in July 2025. Cargo operations started in July 2026 with a Qantas Airbus A321 training flight.
Data & Statistics
- Construction cost: Reported as A$5.6 billion by Reuters and $5.3 billion by The Guardian.
- Passenger capacity: Designed for more than 80 million movements annually; officials cite an eventual 82 million-passenger capacity by the 2060s. Initial operations target around 10 million passengers per year.
- Employment: About 10,000 workers built the airport, half from Western Sydney. Up to 8,500 additional jobs are projected when the airport reaches 10 million annual passengers in the early-to-mid 2030s.
- Flight schedule: Jetstar plans up to 24 return services weekly, including daily Gold Coast flights and multiple weekly services to Melbourne and Brisbane. Air New Zealand will operate the first international flight to Auckland on the Monday after opening, and a Singapore service is scheduled for November 23.
Official Statements & Responses
WSI CEO Simon Hickey called the opening “the final sprint of the marathon,” noting the facility is built for long-term growth. NSW Premier Chris Minns and Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King attended the ceremony, highlighting regional connectivity and economic development.
On-the-Ground Reports
Passengers described a “jubilant” atmosphere, many wearing orange Jetstar hats while locals gathered to watch take-offs. The terminal features sandstone panels, self-check-in kiosks and a flexible layout that can shift between domestic and international processing. In-flight service on the inaugural flight was limited to a complimentary cookie. Indigenous artist Adam Laws contributed sculptures to the forecourt, and a First Nations smoking ceremony opened the event.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Cost figures differ: Reuters cites A$5.6 billion, The Guardian $5.3 billion.
- Distance to Sydney’s CBD is given as 60 km (Reuters) and 45 km.
These discrepancies leave the exact rollout timeline unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “When they get here we’ve got four cafés lots of travel essentials, retail. It’s a beautiful and fantastic experience, and we’re going to keep on adding to it.” — Prime Minister Anthony Albanese
- “We've been in the final sprint of the marathon, so the legs are feeling a bit wobbly, but we're really happy that we're here,” — WSI CEO Simon Hickey
What’s Next
Air New Zealand will launch the first international service to Auckland on the Monday after opening. A direct flight to Singapore is slated for November 23, with additional routes to Vietnam, Fiji, Qatar and further domestic destinations planned through 2027. Airport officials project that, by the early 2030s, annual passenger numbers will approach 10 million, eventually scaling toward the 82 million-passenger capacity envisioned for the 2060s.