Jetstar flight JQ362 became the first commercial service to leave Western Sydney International Airport on Sunday morning.
The flight headed for the Gold Coast just before 11:30am on Sunday 25 October 2026, marking the start of passenger operations at the new airport.
The inaugural aircraft carried 188 passengers. Jetstar said the 158 seats made available to the public sold out within 45 minutes, while 30 places were reserved for media and VIP guests.
- JulyCargo begins
Western Sydney International Airport officially opened for cargo operations.
- 25 October 2026Passenger services start
Jetstar flight JQ362 departed for the Gold Coast just before 11:30am.
- 25 October 2026More domestic services
The first return flight was scheduled for 3pm, with the first departure to Melbourne set for 6pm.
- 26 October 2026International services begin
Air New Zealand is scheduled to operate the airport's first international flight.
- At least December 2027Metro link delayed
The airport metro station is not expected to open before this date.
A new airport built for round-the-clock operations
Western Sydney International Airport is at Badgerys Creek, 45 kilometres from Sydney's CBD and 18 kilometres from Penrith's city centre. It can operate 24/7, unlike the existing terminals at Sydney's Mascot airport, giving airlines more freedom to schedule flights.
The $5.3bn greenfield development is more than 40 years in the making. The airport said this was the first passenger service from a newly built major Australian airport in more than 50 years.
Cargo operations started in July. Six airlines have now committed to the airport, and Air New Zealand is due to run the first international service on Monday.
Western Sydney and Sydney's existing airport
Western Sydney International
Badgerys Creek
24/7 operation
- More airline scheduling flexibility
- Planned long-term capacity of 82 million passengers a year
Sydney's existing airport
Mascot terminals
Restricted operating hours
- Not a 24/7 operation
- Existing terminals in Mascot
The airport is intended to become a large connecting hub. Simon Hickey, the chief executive of Western Sydney International, said the airport would offer more than 250 connecting destinations within just over 12 months.
The opening terminal is about the same size as Adelaide Airport, which handles about 10 million annual passengers. Hickey said Western Sydney International expects to approach that level in the early to mid 2030s.
The airport said it could eventually handle 82 million passengers a year in the 2060s, after more terminals and another runway are added. That proposed capacity would be comparable with the more than 84 million passengers Heathrow handled in 2025.
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 passengers a year
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese addressed the official opening event in the international terminal and called it an extraordinary day.
This is an absolutely extraordinary day
Hickey described the launch as the end of an exhausting construction phase.
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
Airlines and transport will test the plan
Most international airlines at Western Sydney International are being subsidised by the New South Wales government. Whether those airlines keep their commitments after the subsidies end remains unclear, making continued airline participation a central test for the airport.
The airport's planned metro station has been delayed until at least December 2027. The exact opening date beyond that point is not known.
Air New Zealand's scheduled service on Monday 26 October 2026 will be the next dated milestone. The first domestic return flight was scheduled for 3pm, and the first service to Melbourne for 6pm on the opening day.
The airport sits on an 1,800-hectare former farmland site. It now includes two terminals, a landscaped garden and a car park, while local sandstone panels line the walls.
Indigenous artists from Western Sydney were commissioned to decorate the terminal. Adam Laws, a Dharug and Darkinjung artist, created sculptures called Barayabinyang, or Songbirds, for 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
The first officer on JQ362 was Aglaya Papadokokolakis, a 25-year-old from Blacktown. Her mother surprised her by travelling on board the first flight.
Today still feels very surreal
Passengers and visitors also used the opening to assess what the airport represented for the region.
The western suburbs have grown up – now they're an international destination.
Grant, a longtime St Marys resident, was flying back from the Gold Coast on Sunday, then heading to Auckland on Monday before travelling to Europe on Singapore Airlines' inaugural November service out of Western Sydney International.
It's nice, but not finished yet
Ung was visiting the airport when he made the comment. Which food outlets are still to open is not known.
Hickey said the airport employed about 10,000 workers during construction, with approximately half coming from Western Sydney. Up to 8,500 jobs would be needed across the precinct once the airport reaches 10 million annual passengers in the 2030s.
What we know
- The airport can operate 24/7.
- Six airlines have committed to Western Sydney International.
- Air New Zealand is scheduled to operate the first international flight on Monday 26 October 2026.
- The airport has a planned long-term capacity of 82 million passengers a year.
Still unclear
- Whether international airlines will maintain their commitments after New South Wales government subsidies end.
- Whether international fares at Western Sydney International will fall as more services begin.
- The exact opening date of the airport metro station beyond at least December 2027.
- Which food outlets at the airport are still to open.
Air New Zealand is scheduled to operate WSI's first international flight on Monday 26 October 2026.
