Western Sydney International Airport, an airport currently under construction and slated to open in 2026, has received its first international airline - Singapore Airlines.
By: Haotian
Published on: 27 August 2024, 9.48pm (GMT +8)
Singapore Airlines has confirmed its operations to the airport, once it opens. Photo: Haotian/Project AeroFlight
Singapore Airlines (SIA/SQ) has confirmed that they will be formally introducing flights to Sydney's new kid on the block - Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), once it opens in late 2026.
Western Sydney International Airport has confirmed that Singapore Airlines is the first international airline to confirm its operations to and from the airport, located some 44km from the city centre of Sydney.
Nonetheless, the airport is connected via highways, as well as an airport train, making the commute there rather convenient.
Prior to this announcement, Australian-based airlines, Jetstar and Qantas, were the only airlines that had confirmed operations into the new airport. However, it is understood that the airport is currently in talks with Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Australia, and Turkish Airlines, though none have confirmed their operations into the airport yet.
The current Sydney Kingsford-Smith International Airport has a strict curfew from 11pm to 6am, which prohibits aircraft from taking off during those periods. Furthermore, there is a cap on the number of takeoffs every hour - a meagre 80 aircraft per hour. This is due to the proximity of the airport to residential neighbourhoods. The new airport will, however and fortunately, be restriction-free in terms of curfews and takeoff limits.
Western Sydney International Airport said in a statement:
“Western Sydney International Airport’s late-night departure capacity, for instance, could allow Singapore Airlines’ business travellers to finish a full day’s work in Sydney, take an overnight flight and arrive in Singapore before their first morning meeting the very next day. Late-night departures could also allow passengers to transit more swiftly from Singapore through their award-winning Changi Airport hub to connect to one of the 125 destinations served by the Singapore Airlines Group.”
The airport will be built in 4 phases. The first phase of the development is set to be unveiled with a single terminal and single-runway operations, with the runway big enough to accommodate an A380. At the end of phase 4, the airport will be split into 4 terminals. and will adopt dual-runway operations. It will be twice the size of the current Sydney Airport once fully completed.
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