Western Sydney Airport on track as first flights target late 2026

The Western Sydney International Airport at Badgerys Creek has passed its final major construction milestone, with the terminal building substantially complete, the runway and taxiway network fully surfaced, and the air traffic control tower operational following the handover from the construction contractor to Airservices Australia last month. The federal government has confirmed that the first commercial flights are targeted for late 2026, with the airport currently working through the certification and licensing processes that must be completed before commercial operations can commence.

Western Sydney Airport Corporation chief executive Simon Hickey said the airport had reached readiness faster than the original project schedule, reflecting the outstanding delivery performance of the construction consortium and the "extraordinary collaboration between federal and state governments, the local council, and the aviation industry that made this project possible within budget and ahead of schedule."

The airline lineup for launch is expected to be confirmed within weeks, with Qantas, Virgin Australia, and two international carriers understood to have reached commercial terms with the airport for inaugural services. The international connectivity at launch is expected to include direct services to Southeast Asian destinations that will provide Western Sydney residents with their first direct international flights without the road journey to Kingsford Smith.

The economic development around the airport — in the Aerotropolis that the NSW and federal governments have been planning since the airport's announcement — is expected to accelerate substantially once the first flights commence, with more than 200 businesses having already committed to the Aerotropolis precinct and a further 400 applications under assessment by the Western Parkland City Authority.

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