First major Australian airport opens in western Sydney

The first passenger flight departed from Western Sydney International Airport at 11am Australian Eastern Daylight Time, carrying a full-capacity Jetstar Airbus A320 to the Gold Coast. The opening marks the first major airport to be built in Australia in more than 50 years.‍​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‍

The facility, also known as Nancy-Bird Walton Airport, was designated for western Sydney in 1986 and developed through 15 years of planning and seven years of construction. The terminal features over 40 check-in kiosks and 34 bag drop kiosks, serving international and domestic passengers under one roof.

The Australian Government said international routes will be operated by Fiji Airways, Vietjet, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways, with domestic services from Qantas and Jetstar. The runway is designed to accommodate the newest ultra-long-haul aircraft, supporting future expansion.

Development of the terminal required more than 9 million working hours, while more than 13,000 workers helped deliver the broader precinct, with over half based in western Sydney. The project is part of an $18 billion investment in Australia’s third-largest economy.‍​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‍

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: “For the first time in more than 50 years, Australia is opening a major new airport.”

The Australian Government plans to connect the airport to the city via a Sydney Metro rail service and upgrade roads including Elizabeth Drive, Fifteenth Avenue and Mamre Road.‍​​​​​​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‍

Source: Licensed from the Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (pm.gov.au). Changes may have been made. Distributed via BLINK Wire. Original release