Western Sydney Airport Opens to Passengers on Sunday: First Flights, Airlines and How to Get There
Jetstar's 11am Gold Coast service starts Western Sydney's new airport on 25 October, with Air New Zealand next day, Singapore Airlines in November, Qantas in March and Qatar Airways late next year.
Thursday, October 22, 2026/2 min read
Sydney's second airport takes its first passengers on Sunday. Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport opens on 25 October, and the first commercial flight is a Jetstar Airbus A320 to the Gold Coast departing at 11am, Time Out Sydney reported.
The airport is at Badgerys Creek, about 44 km west of the city centre, and is designed to handle up to 10 million passengers a year at the start, according to ABC News.
Which airlines fly from Western Sydney Airport at launch?
Only a few at first. Jetstar will fly up to 14 times a week to Melbourne, four to the Gold Coast and three to Brisbane. Air New Zealand is the first international carrier, flying to Auckland three times a week from 26 October.
More follow on a staggered timetable, Time Out said:
- Singapore Airlines, daily to Singapore from 23 November 2026.
- Vietjet, Ho Chi Minh City twice weekly from January 2027.
- Fiji Airways, three weekly flights to Nadi from 19 March 2027.
- Qantas, domestic flights from 28 March 2027, four weekly each to Brisbane and Melbourne.
- Qatar Airways, Doha flights expected from December 2027.
How do you get to Western Sydney Airport?
By road for now. Airport shuttles at $25 run to Parramatta, the Sydney CBD and Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, and FlixBus runs to Parramatta and Canberra. A toll-free M12 motorway into the airport is still under construction, with Fifteenth Avenue being upgraded in the meantime.
The Sydney Metro line that was meant to open with the airport is not ready. Premier Chris Minns had said it could be delayed until 2028, ABC reported, while Time Out lists the connection as expected in the 2030s, so allow extra time and check before you travel.
Is there a night-flight curfew?
No. The airport has an approved 24-hour operating licence, and from 1 November it will not be subject to the 11pm to 6am curfew that applies at Sydney Airport at Mascot, ABC said. That could matter for freight and long-haul timings later, although the first months of passenger services will be light.
Inside, the terminal uses locally sourced natural materials, floor-to-ceiling windows and a large sandstone feature wall that reflects Dharug Country, Time Out said. The state government says building the airport created more than 12,800 jobs, half of them filled by local workers, according to ABC.
For travellers the sensible plan is to treat the opening as a soft launch. Book a first flight there only if the route suits you, check the road transfer and the shuttle times, and keep Mascot in mind for connections until more airlines arrive. The next date to watch is 23 November, when Singapore Airlines turns the airport into a true gateway to Asia.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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