FAQs

We’re excited to have signed MOUs with the Qantas and Virgin Australia groups and have more on the way with other Australian and overseas airlines.

Under the MOUs we’ve started early discussions about potential routes for Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Australia services from Western Sydney International. We’re also drawing on their experience and insights to design an airport that passengers love using and that offers airlines efficiency and reliability.

Our airline MOUs are a huge vote of confidence in Western Sydney International from Australia’s biggest airlines and we'll have more airline partnerships to announce soon.
 

The Blue Mountains received World Heritage Status in 2000, when plans for Western Sydney International were well advanced, which means the status was awarded knowing that the Airport was likely to be built. The Australian Government is continuing to keep UNESCO informed about the Airport’s development and potential impacts. At this stage there is no suggestion that the Airport will impact the Blue Mountain’s status.
 

It’s common for aircraft fuel to be trucked into airports while they are still growing. Fuel trucks are used at Canberra, Gold Coast and Adelaide airports.

Remember, not every aircraft that lands at Western Sydney International will need to be refuelled. When Western Sydney International opens, we predict only a handful of fuel trucks will travel to the Airport each day and with upgraded local roads and a new motorway to the Airport, the impacts on local traffic will be minimal..

As Western Sydney International grows, we’ll eventually need our own dedicated fuel line.

The Australian and NSW governments have committed to having a north-south rail link running in time for Western Sydney International’s opening. The Sydney Metro – Western Sydney Airport will run from the Airport to connect to the rest of Sydney’s rail network at St Marys Station on the T1 Western Line.

The idea behind prioritising a north-south rail link to the Airport is to ensure that Western Sydney International is connected to the rest of Western Sydney, so it’s easier for people living in region to get to jobs in the Airport precinct and catch a flight.

The NSW Government has committed to beginning early planning for a rail link from Western Sydney International to Paramatta and onto the Sydney CBD.

The NSW Government has also said it will start looking into a future extension of the north-south rail link from the Airport to the Hills District in Sydney’s north-west and to Campbelltown in Sydney's south-west.

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.