The New Western Sydney International Airport Will Open This October—Here’s Everything To Know

Sydney’s west is preparing for a major new chapter, with Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport now scheduled to welcome its first passenger flights on 25 October 2026.

The 24-hour airport will initially connect travellers with Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Auckland and Singapore, with additional routes expected to be announced in the coming months.

For residents across Penrith, Liverpool, Campbelltown and the wider west, its opening will provide a closer alternative to Sydney Airport while creating a new gateway for tourism, business and investment.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sydney’s second major airport, when it will open and how to get there.

Know what you want? Skip to

• When Will Western Sydney International Airport Open?
• Where Is Western Sydney International Airport?
• How Do You Get To Western Sydney Airport?
• Inside The New Western Sydney Airport Terminal
• What The Airport Means For Western Sydney
• M12 Motorway
• Aldi Distribution Centre

When Will Western Sydney International Airport Open?

Western Sydney International Airport is scheduled to welcome its first passenger flights on 25 October 2026.

Located at Badgerys Creek, the curfew-free airport will operate 24 hours a day across domestic, international and freight services. Its purpose-built terminal will initially be able to accommodate up to 10 million passengers annually, with capacity to expand as demand grows.

At launch, travellers are expected to have access to flights connecting Western Sydney with Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Auckland and Singapore. Further routes are slated to be announced over the coming months.

Qantas, Jetstar, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand have been named as the airport’s major launch partners. Jetstar will begin three weekly Brisbane services on 26 October, followed by Qantas flights on the route from 28 March 2027.

The airport’s opening is expected to reduce pressure on Sydney Airport while giving millions of residents across Greater Western Sydney a significantly closer departure point.

Where Is Western Sydney International Airport?

Western Sydney International occupies approximately 1,800 hectares at Badgerys Creek, close to Penrith, Liverpool and the emerging Bradfield city centre.

It forms a central part of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis, a wider development precinct planned around advanced manufacturing, logistics, education, technology and aviation-related industries.

Despite sometimes being discussed alongside Bankstown Airport, the two sites have distinct roles. Western Sydney International is a full-scale domestic, international and freight airport, while Bankstown Airport remains an important base for light aviation, aerospace, manufacturing and logistics.

The airport was developed as a multibillion-dollar project following more than a decade of planning and construction. Environmental controls covering aircraft noise, biodiversity and air quality were established through the project’s Environmental Impact Statement and subsequent planning processes.

How Do You Get To Western Sydney Airport?

For Western Sydney residents, one of the airport’s biggest advantages is its location. Travellers from Penrith, Liverpool, Campbelltown and Mount Druitt no longer need to cross the city to reach Mascot.

Approximate driving times include:

• Penrith: 25 minutes
• Parramatta: 35 minutes
• Bankstown: 40 minutes

Road access

The 16-kilometre M12 Motorway provides the principal road connection between the airport and the Westlink M7, creating a direct, toll-free approach to the terminal.

The motorway is designed to carry airport passengers, workers and freight while reducing the volume of traffic moving through surrounding local roads.

Public transport

The Sydney Metro–Western Sydney Airport line is still under construction and is expected to open in 2027. Once complete, it will connect the terminal with St Marys via Orchard Hills, Luddenham and Bradfield, where passengers will be able to interchange with the existing rail network.

Until the Metro begins operating, interim bus services are connecting the airport with major Western Sydney centres including Penrith, Oran Park, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Mount Druitt and Leppington. Several upgraded routes are expected to remain after the Metro opens.

Inside The New Western Sydney Airport Terminal

The airport’s terminal has been built around shared infrastructure rather than separate airline-specific check-in zones. Passengers can use common self-service kiosks and bag-drop facilities, regardless of which participating airline they are flying with.

A robot-powered baggage system developed by Vanderlande, part of Toyota Industries, automates the collection, sorting and delivery of luggage to aircraft-loading containers. Before opening, the system underwent large-scale testing using thousands of bags in different shapes, sizes and weights.

Passengers can also expect a growing collection of food, drink and retail businesses, with the airport positioning its hospitality offering as an introduction to Western Sydney’s cultural and culinary identity.

What The Airport Means For Western Sydney

Western Sydney International is designed to do more than shorten the journey to a departure gate.

The airport and surrounding Aerotropolis are expected to generate jobs across aviation, freight, logistics, hospitality, accommodation, tourism and retail. Businesses throughout the region are also preparing for increased visitor numbers as new domestic and international routes bring travellers directly into Western Sydney.

That shift could benefit destinations including the Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Southern Highlands, all of which become more accessible to visitors arriving through Badgerys Creek.

The airport is initially equipped to accommodate up to 10 million passengers each year, with its capacity intended to increase over the coming decades alongside Western Sydney’s population and demand for air travel.

Nearby centres are undergoing major changes of their own. The Bankstown Airport Collaboration Area incorporates plans for health, education, transport and employment infrastructure, including a hospital redevelopment, a Western Sydney University campus and improved Metro connections.

M12 Motorway

Image credit: Connell Griffin | Website

The $2.1 billion M12 Motorway is a new 16-kilometre road linking Western Sydney International Airport with the M7 and Sydney’s wider motorway network.

As the airport’s primary road gateway, it has been designed to move passengers, airport employees and freight without directing the full traffic load onto local streets. The Australian Government funded approximately 80 per cent of the project.

The motorway opened on 14 March 2026, ahead of the airport’s first passenger services in October.

Aldi Distribution Centre

The Aerotropolis is also attracting major investment beyond aviation, with Aldi approved to develop a billion-dollar automated distribution centre near the airport.

Covering an area equivalent to approximately 15 soccer fields, the 24-hour facility will use automation for around 80 per cent of its operations. Once complete, it is expected to distribute stock to more than 200 Aldi stores throughout NSW.

The project reflects the broader role taking shape around Western Sydney International: not only as a passenger airport, but as a major logistics and employment precinct supported by direct access to air freight and motorway infrastructure.

Image credit: Western Sydney Airport | Instagram