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FAQs

Top 5 FAQs

Ensuring our construction project is being a good neighbour to the communities around the Airport site is important to us.

If you have any questions about the construction project or any feedback, then call our 24/7 toll-free feedback line on 1800 972 972 .

The project is now in the major earthworks phase. If you’re interested in opportunities at the earthworks project, email our contractor CPB Lend Lease at WSAenquiries@cpblljv.com.au.

The construction project will ramp up to its peak construction phase between now and mid-2022, which is when we will be building the passenger terminal, runway, taxiways, office buildings, internal roads and other supporting infrastructure on the site. Peak construction is when we will have thousands of direct jobs on the site. 

Our local workforce targets mean that at least 30% of jobs during the construction phase will go to Western Sydney locals. When the airport opens, this will increase so that at a minimum of 50% of all jobs will go to Western Sydney locals.  

We’ll advertise jobs for the operating Airport closer to when it opens in 2026.  

As for jobs when the Airport opens in 2026, we’ll be advertising closer to the time. In the meantime any jobs at Western Sydney Airport, the organisation building the Airport, will be advertised at westernsydney.com.au/opportunities/careers

Work to build Western Sydney International is on track for the airport to open on time, at the end of 2026.  

Construction began in September 2018. 

The Western Sydney International site is massive – at 1,780 hectares it’s around twice the area of Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport. The difference between the highest and lowest points on the site is about the same as a 12-storey building. 

To build the terminal and runways, that huge area needs to be flat, so earthworks will take up most of the construction period. We also have very high safety and environmental standards, so we have to take enough time to ensure our workers, the community and the environment are protected. 

Flight paths are being developed by the Australian Government’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development – not by Western Sydney Airport.

Designing and finalising flight paths and airspace arrangements for Western Sydney International airport is a large and complex task that takes several years to complete. Before the airport opens in 2026, a comprehensive airspace planning and design process will be undertaken, with ongoing community engagement. 

The flight paths are being designed by a team of experts and overseen by an aviation Expert Steering Group. This team must take into account the airspace design principles required by the Western Sydney Airport Plan and develop flight paths based on maximising safety, efficiency and capacity, and minimising aircraft noise impacts on the community.

Before they are finalised, the proposed flight paths will be open for public consultation as part of the formal environmental assessment.

For more information about the flight path development process, visit the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development website.

Curfews and other aircraft movement restrictions are not common at airports around the world, in fact, they are put in as a last resort. For example, Sydney (Kingsford-Smith) Airport has a curfew because it is surrounded by some of the most densely populated land in Australia and noise from aircraft taking off and landing at that airport can affect millions of people.

By contrast, the land around Western Sydney International has been protected from medium and high density development for decades, as the site has been planned as a likely location for a major airport for a long time. That means operations at Western Sydney International won’t have the potential to impact as many people.

In addition, flight paths for Western Sydney International will be designed by the Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development to minimise impacts on surrounding communities. The NSW Government is also planning the land around Western Sydney International, taking into account how to minimise noise impacts.

Operating without a curfew will help us unlock a new era of jobs and opportunities for Western Sydney. It will mean opportunities for airlines and new routes, including more affordable low cost carriers. It will also mean local growers and producers will be able to expand their businesses by becoming exporters, being able to get fresh produce quickly to lucrative markets in Asia overnight. Curfew-free operation means all this will flow on to create more jobs in Western Sydney.
 

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When the Airport first opens, passengers using Western Sydney International Airport will have options to travel to the Sydney CBD, including: 
•    A toll-free M12 connecting to Sydney's motorway network via the M7.
•    Express buses connecting to Parramatta, Campbelltown, Penrith and Liverpool.
•    The Sydney Metro Greater West rail service connecting with Sydney's rail network at St Marys station. 

Fuel jettisoning (also known as fuel dumping) is only required in extremely rare circumstances in the event of an emergency and is only possible in certain types of aircraft.

In the rare circumstances this does occur, there are strict controls around where the fuel can be dumped and at what altitude. For example, some of the most common aircraft types in use in Australia, the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 do not have the ability to jettison fuel in flight. 

For more information visit wsiflightpaths.gov.au

When Western Sydney International Airport first opens, a relatively small number of fuel trucks will travel via motorways rather than local roads and be required daily because most domestic aircrafts do not refuel every time they land. 

Many airports across Australia bring in fuel by road, including Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Canberra.

With the ongoing future growth in Western Sydney airport, the need for a fuel pipeline to the west is inevitable and this is currently being explored by both the public and private sectors.

The Qantas Group has already announced it will base 15 aircraft at WSI and around 700 operational jobs are expected to be needed, with local recruitment to take place in the lead up to the first flights in late 2026. 

WSI is in discussions with several other Australian and overseas airlines regarding further domestic and international routes.

WSI will be able to cater for up to 10 million passengers per year on opening, with the capacity to grow to cater for more than 80 million passengers per year in 2060 which is comparable to Dubai, Hong Kong and New York’s JFK today.
 

We are building an airport for Australia’s future and we know how important it is that WSI has sustainability at its core. 

WSI has received ‘excellent ratings’ from the Infrastructure Sustainability Council of Australia for construction performance and has ensured the terminal’s design minimises energy use. 

We are building an airport for Western Sydney’s future, which is why we are focussed on sustainability and minimising the impact of the airport on the environment. 

Sustainable design including energy efficiency and circular economy principles are key considerations as we design the airport.  We’re all about efficient use of resources, reducing carbon emissions and intelligent design.

More than 4.5 million tonnes of high-quality crushed sandstone from the Metro and WestConnex tunnelling sites is being used to construct heavy vehicle roads and a supportive layer, which will sit beneath taxiways and the runways on the airport site.

At WSI, effective water management is one of our top priorities.  Around 98 per cent of the water used for our earthworks packages is recycled water that was captured on site.

The terminal is designed to use energy and water efficient fittings and equipment and to create a healthy environment for passengers and workers, providing generous daylight and ventilation.

The airport and airlines have agreed to work together to develop projects in Western Sydney that can supply Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to WSI which can be used to power flights. SAF helps to lower emissions by up to 80 per cent on a lifecycle basis compared to fossil fuels and is a key to decarbonising the aviation industry.
 

Aircraft need to take off and land into the wind. Airports that have cross runways are in areas with variable wind conditions, so they can keep operating, even if the wind direction changes.


Wind conditions at the Western Sydney International site have been observed over several decades and have been found to be far more predictable. Generally, they vary much less, which means aircraft will be able to land in most local wind conditions, so we don’t need a cross runway.


However, there are plans to build a second parallel runway around the 2050s, when the airport grows and there is increased demand. Until then, one runway is all Western Sydney International needs.

Ensuring our construction project is being a good neighbour to the communities around the Airport site is important to us.

If you have any questions about the construction project or any feedback, then call our 24/7 toll-free feedback line on 1800 951 171.
 

Stage one of the full-service domestic, international and air cargo airport build achieved 50% completion in May this year. 

At this stage, over a third of the terminal, a third of the runway and a third of the landside project has been completed and all is on schedule for WSI’s planned opening in late 2026.

Earthworks have been completed and Western Sydney International Airport was one of the biggest earthmoving projects in Australia’s history. It involved moving 26 million cubic metres of earth across the 1,780-hectare site.

The innovative and pioneering major earthworks project earned an ‘Excellent’ Design IS rating certificate, awarded by the Infrastructure Sustainability Council.

More than 4.5 million tonnes of sandstone have been transported from the Metro and WestConnex tunnelling sites and used to construct heavy vehicle roads on the airport site as well as a supportive layer, which will sit beneath taxiways and the runway.

Western Sydney International Airport has been planned from the start to operate 24/7. Land around the airport has been protected from medium and high-density development for decades.  while at the same time taking full measures to minimise impacts on surrounding communities.


Operating without a curfew will boost the airport’s ability to create more jobs in Western Sydney. It will increase opportunities for airlines and allow for the creation of new routes, as well as encouraging more carriers to operate from Western Sydney International. 


Local growers and producers will be able to expand their businesses by becoming exporters, allowing them to get fresh produce quickly to lucrative markets in Asia overnight, without having to cover the time and cost of trucking them to airports in other states.
 

Jobs at Western Sydney International Airport are advertised here 
Right now, more than 50% of our workforce lives in Western Sydney and we’ll advertise jobs for the operating airport closer to opening in late 2026.