Sydney's new Western Sydney International airport opens with sparse flight schedule

Sydney has a second commercial airport after decades of political delays, environmental opposition and funding shortfalls. Western Sydney International, state-owned and built at a cost of about A$5.6 billion (US$4 billion), handled its first scheduled passenger flight on a Sunday: a Jetstar service to Gold Coast.

Commercial prospects are already being questioned. The airport sits roughly 50 kilometres from the city centre and has attracted a small group of carriers. According to figures from the aviation consultancy Cirium, it will see only about half a dozen or fewer daily scheduled flights over the next 12 months.

The launch comes at a difficult moment for the industry, described as the most challenging international environment since the pandemic. Airlines have warned of sustained rises in fuel costs and fares as the war with Iran continues. Aircraft shortages add to the pressure: manufacturers are running late on deliveries of new-generation jets, leaving carriers with no spare equipment to assign to a terminal that does not yet have established passenger demand. Major operators such as Qantas have chosen to trim capacity on domestic networks rather than open new routes, according to the report.

Ground access is among the airport's first practical problems. The rail link planned to serve the terminal will not be running before 2027 at the earliest, leaving road transport as the main option in the interim. That puts the new facility in direct competition with Kingsford Smith, Sydney's existing airport.