The opening of Australia’s latest 24-hour gateway will be “very significant” but it won’t come without it’s own challenges.
That’s the warning from a respected aviation expert as Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) prepares to welcome its first official flight on October 25.
Located 44 kilometres west of Sydney, the airport will have capacity for up to 10 million passengers annually and will operate around the clock, giving airlines greater scheduling flexibility than is available at Kingsford Smith Airport under its overnight curfew.
Qatar Airways became the latest major airline to commit to using WSI, following on from other carriers such as Qantas, Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines.
Dr Salim Hijazeen, Swinburne University of Technology aviation expert, says while WSI will mark a significant shift in Sydney’s aviation landscape, its airline network and passenger demand will take time to develop.
“Airlines will need time to establish new routes, build passenger demand and determine which services are commercially viable,” Dr Hijazeen said.
“Initially, there will be fewer airlines, flight frequencies and destinations available compared with the existing airport, although I expect this to change progressively as demand grows and more airlines commence operations.”
Dr Hijazeen said travellers should not necessarily expect lower airfares immediately, particularly while airline competition and flight frequencies remain limited during the airport’s early years.
Ground access will also be an important consideration, with the airport’s rail connection not operating when commercial services begin.
Passengers will initially be more reliant on road transport, while growing operations will place additional emphasis on air traffic control capacity and coordination across Sydney’s airspace.
“WSI’s success will depend on how quickly airlines expand their operations, passenger demand develops and the surrounding transport infrastructure improves,” Dr Hijazeen said.
“I think this could be an important factor in attracting more airlines to WSI, especially those looking to operate services outside the existing airport’s operating hours.
“Given the recent ATC-related disruptions at Sydney Airport, ensuring adequate resourcing and reliable air traffic services will be important as operations at WSI increase.”
