The key facts
- The first international flight, Air New Zealand NZ165 from Auckland, arrived on 26 October 2026
- The airport operates around the clock, unlike Kingsford Smith Airport with its night-time restriction from 23:00 to 6:00
- Initial capacity is 10 million passengers a year, with a long-term outlook of more than 80 million
First international flight at Sydney's new airport
Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI), Australia's first major new international airport in 50 years, received its first international passengers on 26 October: an Air New Zealand NZ165 aircraft landed in Sydney from Auckland. This happened the day after the airport's official opening, when Jetstar launched its first domestic passenger flights, euronews reports.
Round-the-clock operation and development plans
The airport is located in the Badgerys Creek area, about 60 km west of central Sydney, and operates around the clock. This gives airlines more scheduling flexibility than at the existing Kingsford Smith Airport, where take-offs and landings are restricted from 23:00 to 6:00. WSI chief executive Simon Hickey called the project 'the most transformative infrastructure project since the Sydney Harbour Bridge' and said that in just over a year passengers will have access to more than 250 destinations. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the opening a 'milestone' the country had been working towards for decades, emphasising that it is about jobs, investment and the development of one of the country's fastest-growing regions. The airport is named after Nancy-Bird Walton, Australia's first female commercial pilot.
Terminal, transport and route network
Domestic and international flights are served in a single terminal with automated check-in and baggage handling. At launch, the airport is designed for 10 million passengers a year; according to management estimates, in the long term it could become Australia's main aviation hub with a capacity of more than 80 million passengers annually. The airport can be reached by bus, taxi, rideshare and rental cars, and motorists have access to the toll-free M12 motorway. Singapore Airlines will launch daily flights to Singapore on 23 November, Vietjet will begin flights to Ho Chi Minh City in January 2027, Fiji Airways will fly to Nadi in March, and Qatar Airways will connect Doha with WSI from 15 December 2027. On domestic routes, Jetstar operates daily flights to the Gold Coast, up to 14 flights a week to Melbourne and three to Brisbane; Qantas will join on 28 March 2027 with four flights a week on each of its Melbourne and Brisbane routes via QantasLink.
Significance of the event
The opening of WSI changes the aviation configuration of Australia's largest city: for the first time, Sydney has a round-the-clock airport that removes the night-time restrictions of the existing Kingsford Smith Airport. For passengers, this means a new terminal with automated services and a rapid expansion of the route network — from the announced 250 destinations to concrete launches such as Singapore Airlines as early as 23 November. For residents of fast-growing Western Sydney, the project is, in the Prime Minister's assessment, linked to jobs and investment; however, the announced capacity plans of 80 million passengers remain a forward-looking estimate by the airport's management, not a confirmed fact.
