Summary Western Sydney International is set to revolutionize airport experiences with 24/7 operations and modern technology. Major airlines like Singapore Airlines and Qantas are gearing up for operations at WSI, offering travelers new opportunities. The last twelve months have been tumultuous for Australian aviation, with the demise of Bonza and Rex's domestic services, disputes over slot allocation in Sydney and intense government scrutiny of service quality.
While airline competition has suffered a telling blow, competition in the Sydney airport sector is heating up. An all-night airport in Sydney Apart from the non-competitive manner in which peak-time slots are allocated, Sydney Airport's biggest challenge is its night curfew, which is already a key plank in the marketing of Western Sydney International Airport (WSI). Today, the new challenger announced it had secured its first international airline customer, with Singapore Airlines confirming its intention to operate at Western Sydney International.
In 2023, Singapore Airlines and Western Sydney International signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore the airport's functionality, customer experience, sustainability, operational efficiency and mutual commercial opportunities. This confirmation creates a strategic partnership between WSI and Singapore Airlines at Australia's first greenfield airport in more than 50 years. WSI CEO Simon Hickey said the heart of the agreement was the 24/7 operation and the recognition of WSI's unique scheduling opportunities that airlines, particularly international carriers like Singapore Airlines, will be able to harness into the future.
Hickey drew on that to illustrate what a curfew-free airport could mean for travelers. "Western Sydney's International Airport's late-night departure capacity could allow Singapore Airlines' business travelers to finish a full day's work in Sydney, take an overnight flight and arrive in Singapore before their first morning meeting the next day." In June last year, the Qantas Group announced it had reached an agreement with Western Sydney International that will see 15 narrowbody aircraft operating at the airport when it opens in late 2026.
Within the first twelve months of flying, Qantas will have five aircraft and Jetstar ten based at WSI, with all operating domestic services, such as to Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast (OOL). The half-built Western Sydney Airport has signed up Qantas and Jetstar to base narrowbodies there when it opens in 2026. New opportunities at WSI Starting from a clean slate brings many advantages, and WSI is focused on delivering a smooth and simple experience for its customers using state-of-the-art technology.
It will have a combined international and domestic terminal for seamless transfers, the latest baggage handling systems and five-minute taxi times on the tarmac, things not available at its cross-town rival. Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President South West Pacific Louis Arul said the agreement reflects SIA's commitment to enhancing network connectivity for travelers to and from Sydney and providing additional services for Australia, which is a major market for the Singapore Airlines Group . He added: "This is a unique opportunity to work with a greenfield airport to set a new baseline for customer experience.
We are working closely with WSI to ensure that our customers will continue to enjoy the comprehensive end-to-end, world-class experience that is synonymous with Singapore Airlines." Singapore Airlines currently operates 130 services weekly between Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) and Australia, with 28 utilizing Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD). Understandingly, there is no mention yet of how many services Singapore Airlines will operate at WSI or the aircraft, although both airports can comfortably accommodate the Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 777-300ER that fly the route today.
Following the recent completion of the terminal roof, the airport build is more than 80% progressed and on track to open in late 2026. In the Western Sydney catchment, residents already take around two million air trips annually, and the airport has a roadmap to grow to 82 million annual passengers, similar in size to London Heathrow (LHR) and Dubai International (DXB)..
