Western Sydney Airport opens with first Jetstar flight to Gold Coast

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport opened to passenger flights on Sunday 25 October 2026, with a Jetstar service to the Gold Coast the first to depart. According to Simple Flying, the airport cost $14 billion and is the first brand new airport built in Australia in more than half a century.

The first flights

Simple Flying reports that Jetstar flight JQ362, an Airbus A320, left for the Gold Coast at 11:22 AM. A second service, JQ375 to Melbourne, was scheduled for 6:00 PM the same day. Jetstar has four planned routes from the airport: the Gold Coast and Melbourne from opening day, Brisbane from Tuesday 27 October, and Denpasar from 15 March.

Parent company Qantas will fly under the QantasLink brand to Brisbane and Melbourne from 28 March. The report adds that the inaugural Jetstar service sold out within an hour. The airport has also handled freight since 27 July, with Qantas Freight, ASL Airlines and National Jet Express operating.

No curfew and room to grow

The airport is around 27 miles (44km) from downtown Sydney. It will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in contrast to Sydney’s main airport, which is restricted to operations between 6:00 AM and 11:00 PM, according to Simple Flying.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns and Infrastructure Minister Catherine King attended the opening, alongside chief executive Simon Hickey. Hickey told Nine News, as quoted by Simple Flying, that the airport has been designed to be the same size as London Heathrow, though it is starting with a small network.

International airlines lined up

Simple Flying says Air New Zealand will be the first international operator, flying from Auckland up to three times a week from Monday 26 October. It would be the airline’s seventh year-round Australian destination. Other planned services, per the same report:

• Singapore Airlines: Singapore, from 23 November 2026
• Vietjet: Ho Chi Minh City, from 10 January 2027
• Fiji Airways: Nadi, from 19 March 2027
• Qatar Airways: Doha, from 15 December 2027

Related Airspace Times pages cover Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and Vietjet.

What this means for travellers

Travellers now have a second Sydney airport with no curfew, which in principle allows flight times outside the hours available at the main airport. Early domestic options are limited to Jetstar’s Gold Coast, Melbourne and Brisbane routes, with QantasLink following in March. International choices begin with Auckland and expand over the next year or so, with Doha not due until December 2027.

Western Sydney is far from the city centre. Simple Flying says the airport is currently linked by a bus service and new road infrastructure, but the source text cut off before describing any direct rail connection, so that detail is not confirmed here. Popular early flights may sell quickly, so booking ahead is sensible.

Sources: Simple Flying.