When Singapore Airlines flight SQ201 touches down at the new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) soon after 10pm on 23 November 2026, it will mark a new era for aviation in Australia’s most recognised city.

Passengers onboard SIA’s A350-900 aircraft will be among the first to experience Sydney’s first 24/7 international airport, also named Nancy-Bird Walton Airport after one of Australia’s aviation pioneers.

Unlike Sydney’s Kingsford Smith airport, WSI has no curfews and no movement caps, allowing Singapore Airlines to add a fifth daily flight to the city.

Designed in the first stage to handle 10 million passengers annually, WSI – 44 km from Sydney’s CBD – will ease congestion at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, which is 25 km from the CBD.

Crucially, it will open up a fast-growing region of western Sydney, which claims Australia’s third-largest economy. A direct flight into this economic powerhouse will likely appeal to business travellers, while the proximity of the Blue Mountains and Sydney Zoo is expected to attract nature-lovers.

Connectivity is key for passengers

Airport marketing will also target the region’s large South Asian population, who will have an option to transit through Singapore.

“It's great to see a full-service premium carrier [SIA] flying into Western Sydney Airport and, more importantly, getting those tickets out for sale through travel agents,” said Dean Long, chief executive of the Australian Travel Industry Association.

“It doesn't matter if you're in western Sydney, the east or the north, your connectivity through to Asia and also to Europe is now unparalleled.”

Access to the new airport is currently via a motorway. Trains connecting to a nearby suburb will only arrive a year after the planes.

Along with Singapore Airlines, Australia’s national carrier, Qantas, and its subsidiary, Jetstar, will operate at WSI, while Air New Zealand will operate three weekly services between Sydney and Auckland from 26 October.