Western Sydney International Airport launches first international flight, offering 24-hour flights and global connections

Western Sydney International Airport began international operations on Monday, October 26, with its first flight arriving from Auckland, New Zealand. The new Aus$5.3 billion airport is expected to provide more travel options and boost jobs and investment in Sydney’s western suburbs.

An Air New Zealand aircraft landed at the airport in the morning before departing for Auckland, launching a service that will operate three times a week.

Also read: IndiGo, Air India Group to shift flights to Navi Mumbai airport ahead of Mumbai T1 redevelopment


"It's not every day you get to be part of opening a brand-new international airport," said Air New Zealand chief operations officer Kate Boyer. "Western Sydney is home to more than 2.5 million people, and it's a further gateway for Australian visitors to discover everything our country has to offer."

The airport, which has been in planning for more than four decades, is Australia's first new major aviation hub in more than five decades. Domestic flights began on Sunday, while freight operations started in July.

New airport to operate 24 hours a day

Western Sydney International Airport offers an alternative to Sydney's main airport, Kingsford Smith, which has been operating for more than a century.

Located in Botany Bay, about nine kilometres from the city centre, Kingsford Smith is Australia's busiest airport. Its three runways handled more than 42 million passengers last year. The airport also has a night-time curfew on passenger flights, partly addressing noise concerns for nearby residents.

The new airport in western Sydney has no such restrictions and can operate around the clock.

Also read: Emirates deploys Airbus A350 on Kolkata-Dubai route, raises weekly flights to 12

"Through our 24-hour operations, Western Sydney International Airport gives airlines greater flexibility to connect into global hubs and travellers more choice in how they reach the world," said airport chief executive Simon Hickey.

More international airlines to join

Budget airline Jetstar is currently the airport's main domestic carrier, with flights to the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Brisbane. More international services are planned. Vietjet Air is scheduled to begin flights in January 2027, followed by Fiji Airways in March 2027 and Qatar Airways in December 2027.

The airport's construction cost Aus$5.3 billion (US$3.7 billion), excluding surrounding transport infrastructure. It is currently accessible by road, while a direct rail link is not expected before at least December 2027.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the airport marked a "wonderful new chapter" for Australia.

He said the project would bring jobs and investment to western Sydney, an area often overshadowed by the city's harbour and central business district.

"For too long, Sydney has looked towards the harbour and the CBD. What this does is turn it around to where people live, to where jobs occur, to where investment occurs in western Sydney."