Aviation fan flies to Auckland overnight to board first flight from Western Sydney
John Darcy will fly to Auckland overnight. He will board the first international flight from Western Sydney's new airport.
Australia's newest international airport opens this weekend near Sydney's Badgerys Creek after decades of planning and delays. John Darcy, an aviation enthusiast who photographed planes since childhood, will board Air New Zealand's first international flight Monday morning.
Darcy did not fly until age 40. Now he tracks every flight and aircraft type as a hobby, logging everything in an Excel spreadsheet.
The round trip to Auckland will be his 180th flight, covering 2,201 kilometres. He will spend just one night away and return to work the next day.
His motivation is purely collecting the achievement. Four weeks later, he plans the same for Singapore Airlines' first service from the airport.
Aviation enthusiasts like Alastair, a 19-year-old plane spotter from Melbourne, are travelling to Sydney to photograph the historic departures. Alastair has spotted nearly 2,000 aircraft registrations.
He uses equipment worth $5,000 to capture rare liveries and moments.
- 40 years old
- First flew at age
- 179 flights
- Previous flights
- 2,201 kilometres
- Round trip distance
- More than 50 years ago
- Last new international airport
Why it mattersThe opening of Western Sydney International Airport ends a 50-year gap since Australia built a new international airport. It reshapes flight capacity for the region.
AustraliaThe airport launches flights from seven airlines and adds crucial capacity to Sydney, reducing pressure on Kingsford Smith and offering 24-hour operations. It directly connects western Sydney residents to international travel, previously requiring airport transfers to the city.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
