By Ashley Nickel,Editor

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Western Sydney Airport will open in 2026

It has struggled to secure airline contracts

READ MORE: First look at Sydney’s new international airport

By ASHLEY NICKEL, NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA

Published: 11:05 BST, 21 September 2025 | Updated: 13:20 BST, 21 September 2025

Sydney’s grand new passenger airport is set to sit vacant for a year after the $5billion facility opens its doors because it doesn’t have any commercial flight contracts.

Western Sydney International (WSI) airport has only secured deals with freight carriers so far, the Sunday Telegraph reported.

Its runways will be operational from late 2026, but major airlines have held back on making deals over concerns about how easily passengers will be able to commute to and from the CBD.

Carriers are worried that a longer or more difficult commute to the city would discourage customers from choosing Western Sydney International and they don’t want to get locked into contracts flying partially empty planes.

The proposed expansion of Sydney’s existing airport, in Mascot, could also push back flight contracts with WSI.

One insider told the publication the absence of contracts from commercial passenger airlines is why the NSW Government hasn’t appeared worried about the delayed completion of Metro services between St Marys and Bradfield, via WSI.

The new Metro service was due to open alongside the airport but has been pushed back to late 2027 – meaning the airport would open without rail transport.

NSW Transport Minister John Graham declined to comment on when the Metro would begin running, but said: ‘Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne has been open 55 years and still does not have a train line serving it’.

Western Sydney International (pictured) passenger terminal could remain empty for its first year of operation

WSI (pictured) has struggled to secure contracts with commercial airlines due to its distance from the CBD

Fortunately, WSI will have new bus services and link to a toll-free M12 motorway.

‘At Western Sydney airport we are building a world-class metro before a plane has even landed,’ Graham added.

WSI doesn’t have a set opening date but a spokesman said it would ‘open for domestic and internationals passenger services and cargo services in the second half of 2026’.

‘Qantas, Jetstar, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand have announced they will be flying services from WSI, and this will include passenger services in our first year of operations,’ he insisted.

‘We are now working through planning and operational discussions with each of them.’

Sydney’s existing flight hub, Kingsford Smith Airport, is set to undergo a $1billion upgrade to link its T2 and T3 domestic terminals and create ‘a new precinct where regional, domestic and international services are brought under one roof’.

Plans shared earlier this week scheduled construction to begin in late 2027 and finish in 2031.

It would include 12 new international gates to operate alongside the 25 existing gates at T1.

Sydney’s existing airport, Kingsford Smith Airport (pictured), is expected to retain a majority of Sydney’s commercial and freight flight business

The design will help Sydney cope with an expected influx of passenger from 41.4-million in 2024 to 72.6-million in 2045.

WSI alone is forecast to move 19.3-million of those passengers in 2045, leaving Kingsford Smith Airport to cope with the remaining 79 per cent of travellers.

The existing airport will also retain a majority of freight arrivals with 1.4-million tonnes expected in 2045 compared to 546,700 tonnes at WSI in the same year.

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Western Sydney Airport hasn’t even opened up yet… but it’s already facing a very embarrassing setback

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