Western Sydney Airport opens to international travellers
New Zealand Airways flight NZ165 landed at Western Sydney International Airport just before 7:45am Monday, marking its first international arrival.
Western Sydney International Airport received its first international flight on Monday morning when a plane from Auckland touched down. The airport is now open to travellers from across the region and is designed to grow rapidly.
CEO Simon Hickey said joy surrounded the arrival. "In just over a year there will be 250 destinations from Western Sydney Airport," he told ABC News Breakfast.
The facility is built to the size of Adelaide Airport. It can handle as many as 10 million passengers yearly.
It is expected to reach that capacity by the mid-2030s as more airlines and routes are added. The same aircraft that arrived on Monday also made the airport's first international departure, returning to Auckland the same day.
- New Zealand Airways NZ165 from Auckland
- First international flight
- 7:45am Monday
- Landing time
- 10 million passengers
- Yearly capacity
- Just over a year
- Expected 250 destinations timeline
Why it mattersWestern Sydney residents now have their own international gateway, cutting travel time and costs for millions of people across the region.
AustraliaPeople across western Sydney can now fly internationally without driving to other airports, though the major expansion of routes and airlines will take time to build.
Corroborated bythenightly.com.au·abc.net.au
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
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