It has been announced that Singapore Airlines will be the first international airline to offer flights to and from the under-construction Western Sydney Airport (WSI) when the new facility opens in 2026. The news is a major coup for the $5.3 billion project as construction of the new airport nears completion.
The new airport serving Greater Sydney in New South Wales, Australia, is scheduled to open its doors to flights for the first time in late 2026, according to the minister in charge of the project. Following the recent completion of the roof structure of the terminal building, interior work has begun, which will accelerate the facility’s final preparations before opening.
Upon opening, WSI will be a full-service airport capable of handling both domestic and international passengers as well as cargo services. The airport will open with a single runway and facilities to handle 10 million passengers. Once operational, the airport will operate 24 hours a day with no curfews and will initially be able to handle up to 10 million passengers per year.
The airport will be expanded gradually, depending on growing demand. Initially, the airport will handle around five million passengers per year, and by around 2031 this figure will rise to ten million. If necessary, a second runway will be built. By around 2063, the airport is expected to handle around 82 million passengers per year.
Construction work on site began in 2016 and is reportedly about 85% complete. Once opened, the airport will be about twice the size of the existing Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport (SYD).
At a press conference on August 26, 2024, attended by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Transport Minister Catherine King, Albanese said the airline agreeing to serve Sydney’s new airport would “open up Western Sydney to the rest of the world.”
“Singapore Airlines recognises the opportunity presented by investing here,” added Albanese. “Because Singapore Airlines is the first international airline to commit from overseas to use this airport, it will give Singapore Airlines direct access to all the markets that Singapore Airlines serves from this wonderful hub at Changi Airport.”
“It is wonderful that Singapore Airlines, one of the best airlines in the world, is the first international airline to choose Western Sydney Airport as one of its bases,” he concluded.
WSI was designed and built to relieve pressure on Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, which is much closer to downtown Sydney due to its slot and space constraints. Singapore Airlines currently operates five flights a day to SYD and will begin developing its future operations at the new airport once confirmed.
Meanwhile, King added at the press conference that discussions are currently underway with other airlines, including Turkish Airlines and Vietnam Airlines, which have expressed interest in flying to the airport in the future.
“As part of our bilateral negotiations, other countries are constantly talking to me about maintaining that capacity and demand,” King said. “Western Sydney International Airport is obviously part of that.”
The airport operator had previously announced that a commercial agreement had already been reached with Qantas and its low-cost airline Jetstar to operate domestic flights from the new airport. The Australian airline will initially base five aircraft at the airport, while Jetstar will base a further ten aircraft at WSI. Within the first year, the airport is expected to become the Qantas Group’s sixth busiest airport in terms of the number of passengers carried.
