Sydney Is Getting a Second Airport That Never Closes

Western Sydney International Airport will welcome its first passengers on October 25, when a Jetstar Airbus A320 departs at 11am for the Gold Coast. Freight flights began earlier, on July 26, but the passenger opening is the moment Sydney’s long-debated second airport becomes something travellers can actually book.

More airlines follow in quick succession. Air New Zealand starts Auckland service the next day, October 26, and Singapore Airlines begins daily flights from Changi on November 23. Qantas, the country’s flag carrier, joins on March 28, 2027, giving the new airport a mix of low-cost, regional and long-haul connections within its first six months.

What sets the airport apart is that it has no curfew. It is built to operate around the clock, unlike Sydney’s existing Kingsford Smith airport, which is restricted overnight. Reporting indicates that from November 1 the new airport is expected to be gazetted for night aircraft movements, a step that would end overnight freight operations at the older airport.

The terminal is designed to handle up to 10 million passengers a year, with capacity that can be scaled up later. Construction has created more than 12,800 jobs, and over $500 million has flowed to more than 360 Western Sydney businesses along the way. For travellers, the real test will be how quickly airlines move beyond the opening-day routes.

Sources: Australian Flying, eTurboNews