Sydney’s Second Airport Finally Opens, and It Never Closes

Western Sydney International Airport will welcome its first passengers on Sunday, October 25, 2026, when a Jetstar flight to the Gold Coast pushes back at 11 a.m. It is the first major new airport to open in the Sydney basin in decades, and it arrives with a feature the city’s older airport has never had: no curfew.

Jetstar will serve the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Brisbane from day one. Air New Zealand follows on October 26 with three weekly flights to Auckland, and Singapore Airlines plans a daily Singapore service from November 23, subject to approvals. Qantas is slated to add Melbourne and Brisbane from March 28, 2027.

The Nancy-Bird Walton Terminal puts domestic and international gates under one roof and is sized for up to 10 million passengers a year in its first stage. Because aircraft can move around the clock, airlines gain scheduling freedom, although individual services and shops may still keep their own hours.

Getting there will rely on roads at first. The M12 Motorway is toll-free, there are more than 6,000 parking spaces, buses run every 30 minutes to Penrith, Liverpool and Campbelltown, and a free shuttle links St Marys station. The Sydney Metro airport line is not due until 2027, so travelers should plan extra time.

Sources: Wego, Airways Magazine