Australia has a new major international airport for the first time in more than 50 years with the opening of the Western Sydney International Airport to passengers, the new facility announced this weekend. Cargo operations began July 27.
WSI opens with capacity for up to 10 million passenger a year, and "it is expected to become Australia's primary gateway, with capacity for more than 80 million passengers annually," according to the airport, which will operate 24 hours daily.
The first departing domestic flights were operated by Jetstar to each Melbourne and the Gold Coast. The first arriving international flight on Oct. 25 came from Auckland and was operated by Air New Zealand, according to the airport.
Singapore Airlines plans to launch flights to and from the airport on Nov. 23, with Vietnam's Vietjet to begin passenger services in January 2027, according to WSI. Qantas and Fiji Airways each are scheduled to launch passenger flights to and from the facility in March 2027, while Qatar Airways is scheduled to begin service at WSI in December 2027.
The facility is Sydney's second international airport and cost nearly A$5.6 billion (US$3.94 billion) to construct, according to Reuters.