Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport began passenger operations on 25 October, adding a curfew-free facility about 45 kilometres from Sydney’s city centre. Jetstar operated its first passenger flight to the Gold Coast, followed the next day by Air New Zealand’s inaugural international service from Auckland. The terminal uses self-service kiosks for check-in and baggage drop rather than conventional check-in counters, while the airport is designed to handle flights around the clock.
Cargo operations began in July. The new airport is intended to add capacity to Sydney’s aviation network and serve the growing travel and business needs of Western Sydney. Its opening capacity is up to 10 million passengers a year; operations remain at an early stage, with a limited number of airlines and services.
Road and bus services provide current access, while a metro connection is planned. The airport’s curfew-free schedule gives airlines additional options for arranging passenger and freight services outside the operating hours available at Sydney Kingsford Smith. Longer-term expansion plans envisage capacity rising to 19 million passengers annually by 2045 and, eventually, 82 million in the 2060s. Those figures are future targets, not the airport’s current capacity.