Traveller confuses Western Sydney airport with Western Australia
A passenger arriving from Auckland thought Western Sydney meant Western Australia and ended up in the wrong city.
Western Sydney International opened on Sunday, and by Monday a traveller from an Air New Zealand flight had a problem. The passenger thought the name meant he was heading to Perth, not Sydney.
"I got confused, I saw Western Sydney," he said in a TV interview that went viral. "I thought it was Western Australia."
The passenger stayed good-natured about the error, saying "I'm on holiday, so it's not the worst thing." He was not the only one caught out.
Another passenger, Julie Lundmark, said she looked out the window after landing on a Jetstar flight and had no idea where she was. The $5.6 billion airport is Sydney's first 24-hour international terminal.
- 5.6 billion dollars
- Airport cost
- Sunday
- Opening day
- Air New Zealand from Auckland
- First route
Why it mattersThe naming confusion highlights a real risk as travellers adapt to the new airport, especially international passengers unfamiliar with Australian geography.
AustraliaWestern Sydney International is now open for travel in and out of Australia's largest city, replacing a single-airport system for the first time, but passengers need to watch the fine print on tickets.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 3 h ago
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