Western Sydney International Airport opens to p***engers today, with its first commercial flights

Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) is officially open to p***engers, with the new terminal being described as “a generational change to aviation”.

The first commercial p***enger flight from WSI departs for the Gold Coast at 11am.

Jetstar flight JQ362 is sold out and will be the first service from a major new Australian airport in more than 50 years, with JQ363 from the Gold Coast then landing back at WSI at 3pm.

The first departure to Melbourne then occurs at 6pm from WSI.

Located 45 kilometres from Sydney’s CBD and 18km from Penrith’s city centre, the Badgerys Creek aviation hub is a 24/7 operation, unlike Sydney’s Mascot terminals.

WSI officially opened for cargo operations back in July.

“We’ve been in the final sprint of the marathon, so the legs are feeling a bit wobbly, but we’re really happy that we’re here,” WSI CEO Simon Hickey said.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Catherine King on Sunday lauded the decades-long effort to get the project built.

“It requires perseverance to build really big things,” she said.

“It requires a lot of dedication.”

Among those checking in for the flight is Mark Ignativ from Queensland. He timed a road trip to Melbourne to stop by the new airport and catch the first p***enger flight as a “joy ride”.

What the future holds for WSI

According to Mr Hickey, “eyes are moving west” when it comes to forward-planning for the future growth of Western Sydney and its new airport.

“We’re designed for growth. We’ve built an airport terminal that is about the same size as Adelaide Airport, which is about 10 million annual p***engers a year,” he said.

“We’re not going to start at 10 million p***engers a year, but we’re going to grow into that … [by] the early to mid 2030s, we’ll start to get closer to that.”

Into the 2060s and with the addition of more terminals and another runway, WSI could reach its full 82 million p***enger capacity per year.

In comparison, London’s Heathrow Airport in 2025 welcomed over 84 million p***engers.

“Destinations will continue to grow,” Mr Hickey added.

“What I can say is that in just over 12 months from now … we’ll have over 250 destinations that people can connect to … [it’s] a magnificent start and we’ll continue to go from there.”

There are hopes further airlines will come on board as well.

About 10,000 workers helped build WSI, with approximately half of that workforce from Western Sydney, Mr Hickey said.

“Up to 8,500 jobs will be required to support operations across the precinct by the time WSI reaches 10 million annual p***engers in the 2030s,” he said of the projected job growth opportunities.

Indigenous artists from Western Sydney were also commissioned for their artworks to decorate the new terminal.

One of those featured, Dharug and Darkinjung artist Adam Laws, said he tried to map the local floral and fauna in his sculptures called Barayabinyang or Songbirds, which is featured in the external forecourt.

“To have Dharug culture represented there for all those visitors, it’s just so good to get us on the map and get our stories and traditions out there. Let people know we are still here, still resilient,” he said.

Ultimately, Mr Hickey said WSI wanted to “provide choice” to all greater Sydneysiders and those coming to Australia from around the world.

“We can’t wait to welcome p***engers to this beautiful airport.”

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