Western Sydney International is open – here’s what you need to know about it

Words by James Booth for Escape.com.au.

Let’s try a thought experiment. Cast your mind back to 2014. You might remember things like the ice bucket challenge, the movie Frozen and Taylor Swift beefing with Katy Perry…

What you probably don’t remember is the Australian federal government promising to build Western Sydney International Airport on a greenfield site on the outskirts of Sydney.

Well, time has a way of creeping and as of today, Western Sydney International has opened to passengers.

Another surprise: WSI is set to be way bigger than Sydney’s existing Kingsford-Smith international airport, with plans for it to eventually accommodate similar numbers of people as London Heathrow. It’s also tipped to make flights to a number of destinations cheaper.

If this comes as news to you, and you want to get caught up on everything WSI, here’s everything we know so far.

Where is Western Sydney International Airport?

It’s in a suburb called Badgerys Creek, about 41-kilometres west of Sydney’s CBD. It can be reached via the M12 motorway (that is toll-free and will go directly into WSI) and by late 2027 by the Sydney Metro will connect to it.

In the meantime there will be shuttle buses, public buses, taxis and ride-shares that will get you there.

Why the new airport?

The main reason is to keep up with Sydney’s growing aviation needs. It will also generate economic activity, boost tourism, and provide employment opportunities closer to home for people in the area.

Sydney is popular. 16.3 million international passengers came through Sydney Airport in 2024, (a 12.1 per cent increase on 2023) and as an in-demand city, we need our infrastructure to keep up with demand.

The new airport will also help connect Sydneysiders with the world. This is key in Western Sydney, which is home to people with ancestry all over the world who travel internationally about twice a year (by some estimates).

Will Western Sydney International airport make flights cheaper?

Yes, particularly for Sydneysiders looking to head to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East…

Professor Rico Merkert, Professor and Chair in Transport and Supply Chain Management at the University of Sydney, tells Escape that the new WSI airport will benefit Sydneysiders, as it will bring down airfares for certain markets, especially for the low-cost flying segment and flights to South Asia, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, “because there will be more flights to those destinations.”

He also says the new airport will free up slots at Kingsford Smith Airport and have a “positive impact on air freight,” as well as improving connectivity and frequencies to the above-mentioned markets, “which are important to the consumers/demographics residing in Western Sydney.”

As for your hopes of cheap flights to Bali, Professor Merkert says: “Yes, I would like to think that Bali will be included in that mix (most likely operated by a low-cost operator).”

What is Sydney’s new airport called?

The official name is Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI).

This is in honour of Nancy Bird Walton, an Aussie aviatrix who got her license in the 1930s (she was the youngest ever Australian woman to get a pilot’s license at the time, and become known as “the angel of the outback” for flying medical staff to regional areas).

How big is the new Sydney airport?

WSI will be able to cater for up to 10 million passengers per year when it first opens, with the capacity to eventually cater for more than 80 million passengers per year in 2060 – numbers comparable to what Dubai, Hong Kong, New York’s JFK and London’s Heathrow see annually at the moment.

Physically, The Western Sydney International site comprises 1,780 hectares, which is around twice the area of Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport.

When will the Western Sydney International Airport open?

It opened for freight in July, and will open for passenger planes in late October.

Will it have a curfew?

No. Western Sydney International will be a full-service airport operating curfew-free (unlike Kingsford Smith, which has a curfew from 11pm to 6am to spare residents the noise of planes) to deliver international, domestic and freight services.

Why won’t the new Sydney airport have a curfew?

According to the airport’s FAQ page, it won’t have a curfew because there aren’t as many people that live around it as there are at Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport.

“Curfews and other aircraft movement restrictions are not common at airports around the world, in fact, they are put in as a last resort,” the FAQ page reads.

“For example, Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport has a curfew because it is surrounded by some of the most densely populated land in Australia and noise from aircraft taking off and landing at that airport can affect millions of people.”

“By contrast, the land around Western Sydney International has been protected from medium and high density development for decades, as the site has been planned as a likely location for a major airport for a long time.”

How are the negative impacts of building an airport being managed?

The airport’s website says “thorough environmental assessment in 2015-16 has informed measures that will mitigate and manage the effects of the airport’s construction and operation on surrounding communities.”

The government is also meant to be installing sound insulation into certain affected homes, however even just with the freight flights starting recently, has come under criticism for not acting fast enough (many say both the sound of freight jets as well as the process to get the insulation installed has been a nightmare).

How will travellers get to Western Sydney airport?

Here are your options:

Driving, taxi or ride-share: a toll-free M12 will connect to Sydney’s motorway network via the M7
A super shuttle bus (this will connect the airport directly with Parramatta CBD, Sydney CBD and Sydney Airport; tickets and pricing will be available closer to opening in October 2026).
Public bus: from 5 July, new bus services for WSI will start with buses running every half and hour from 5:00am to 10:00pm daily to the airport from Penrith, Leppington, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Mount Druitt.
Free airport buses every 30 minutes: from the first passenger flight a free shuttle bus will operate every 30 minutes from 4:30am until midnight from Sunday to Thursday and 4:30am until 1:00am from Friday to Saturday, between St Marys train and bus interchange and WSI airport kerbside. This will be replaced by the Sydney Metro in late 2027, once it’s ready.
The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Line (this will open from late 2027). It will connect WSI with St Marys, Orchard Hills, Luddenham, WSI Business Precinct and Bradfield on the metro network.
Bike: you cam also reach the airport by bike as there will be a shared cycling and walking path connecting to it via surrounding parks. Secure bike storage sheds will be available at the airport, a short walk from the terminal.

What airlines will fly from the new Western Sydney airport?

Singapore Airlines, Jetstar, Air New Zealand, Qantas, Vietjet and Fiji Airways have been confirmed so far.

More are still to be announced, with Emirates, Qatar Airways, Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Air India and IndiGo all reportedly interested as well.

What will the new Western Sydney airport look like?

You’ll be welcomed by indigenous stories from the moment you step inside the terminal up until your jet zooms down the runway.

The airport designers have consulted with First Nation communities to create an airport made with locally-sourced materials, floor-to-ceiling windows, a huge sandstone feature wall and more, all intended to celebrate Dharug Country.

New challenger to the Aussie domestic airline market?

Popular low cost airline Vietjet will operate two weekly services from Ho Chi Minh City to WSI (Western Sydney International) from January 2027.

This will increase to three weekly services by March.

Australia’s first fully digital aerodrome

When Western Sydney International Airport opens it will have slick terminals, cutting-edge tech and a 24-hour runway.

But there will also be one thing missing that most traditional airports always have had: an air traffic control tower.

The airport’s unusual design has sparked widespread curiosity online, with aviation enthusiasts and travellers questioning how a major international airport could function without it.

Instead, Western Sydney International will become Australia’s first fully digital aerodrome, using a high-tech camera and sensor system to manage aircraft movements remotely.

Known as a Digital Aerodrome Service (DAS), this futuristic setup will see controllers monitoring planes from an operations centre at Eastern Creek rather than sitting high above the runway in a glass tower. According to Airservices Australia, more than 20 high-resolution cameras will provide a live 360-degree feed of the airport and surrounding airspace.

A new bus service

On July 5, 2026 new bus services started connecting Penrith, Oran Park, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Mount Druitt and Leppington the Western Sydney International Airport and local centres. In the future buses will also connect WSI and local centres with the Bradfield City Centre (a new city in the making).

When will the the Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Line open?

The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport Line is not tipped to open until late 2027. Which means there will be at least a year (passenger flights begin in October 2026) where you’ll have to reach it by car, bus or bike.

Will there be anywhere to stay nearby?

Not super close, but there are a lot of options about 20 – 30 minutes drive away.

Alpha Hotel Eastern Creek is about a 30 minute drive away, Wallacia Hotel is a 17 minute drive away, Mercure Sydney LIverpool is 24 minutes away, Green Valley Motel is 25 minutes away and Quality Inn Penrith is about 24 minutes away.

Atura is also opening a 184-room hotel in October in Oran Park, 20 minutes drive from the airport.

Because of the lack of hotels close to the airport, there are fears travellers will bypass the region and head straight to other parts of Sydney, mitigating the potential economic benefits the airport could have for this region. An airport spokesperson however has told the ABC that it anticipates the private sector will respond to this demand as it develops.

The shopping situation

There will be 11 stores in Western Sydney International across the domestic and international precincts, with travel retail operator Lagardère AWPL operating as the airport’s retail partner.

The shops will sell eyewear, tech and travel essentials, and there will be two duty-free shopping areas in the international precinct.

Airport CEO Simon Hickey says that from day one, “customers will be able enjoy a mix of quality retail like premium Duty-Free shopping and eyewear options, various convenient RELAY essentials, including fresh food and drinks, and the latest Tech2Go gadgets.”

Additional stores and brands are set to join the precinct over the coming months and years, as and when demand for flights increases.

This article originally appeared on Escape.com.au as Western Sydney International is open – here’s what you need to know about it.

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