Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) has secured its first international airline, with Singapore Airlines (SIA), confirming the premium carrier’s intention to operate at Sydney’s new 24-hour airport.
This establishes a new strategic partnership between WSI and the Skytrax certified 5-Star Airline, as commercial discussions about the airline’s future operations at Australia’s first greenfield airport in more than fifty years, continue.
WSI CEO Simon Hickey said at the heart of this arrangement – the first with an international airline for WSI – was recognition of the airport’s unique scheduling opportunities that airlines, like SIA, will be able to harness into the future.
“This inaugural international airline arrangement is a fantastic milestone for Western Sydney International Airport and reflects the positive response we’ve had from airlines, especially in regard to the unprecedented opportunities our 24-hour capability unlocks,” he said.
“Western Sydney International Airport’s late-night departure capacity, for instance, could allow Singapore Airlines’ business travellers to finish a full day’s work in Sydney, take an overnight flight and arrive in Singapore before their first morning meeting the very next day.
“Late-night departures could also allow passengers to transit more swiftly from Singapore through their award-winning Changi Airport hub to connect to one of the 125 destinations served by the Singapore Airlines Group.”
Mr Hickey said Western Sydney International Airport was focused on delivering a smooth and simple experience for its customers, underpinned by the latest technology, which was another major drawcard for Singapore Airlines.
“Our combined international and domestic terminal will give Singapore Airlines customers a seamless transfer experience, while our state-of-the-art baggage system and efficient design, including five-minute taxi times on the tarmac, means passengers will be able to get on their flight faster and relax and enjoy the award-winning service on board,” he said.
Based in the state’s cultural heartland of Western Sydney that’s home to more than 150 different ancestries, this new commercial arrangement will also unlock new opportunities for the region’s residents who often visit family or friends overseas.
“With the airport build now more than 80 per cent progressed – including the recent completion of our terminal roof – and today’s step forward to advance international airline negotiations, our diverse communities can really get a sense of their future airport, and the experience they’ll have flying from here in late 2026,” Mr Hickey said.
Singapore Airlines Regional Vice President South West Pacific, Mr Louis Arul, said, “This agreement reflects our commitment to enhancing network connectivity for travellers to and from Sydney, and providing additional services for Australia, which is a major market for the Singapore Airlines Group.
“This is a unique opportunity to work with a greenfield airport to set a new base line for customer experience throughout an airport ecosystem.
“We are working closely with WSI to ensure that our customers will continue to enjoy the comprehensive, end-to-end, world-class experience that is synonymous with Singapore Airlines,” Mr Arul said.
Today’s agreement follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the parties in 2023, which set the scope to explore the airport’s future functionality, customer experience, sustainability, operational efficiency, and mutual commercial opportunities.
WSI is on track to open for domestic, international and air cargo services in late 2026.
Tourism & Transport Forum says “tourism boom on the horizon”:
The tourism sector has welcomed a “victory for the visitor economy” with Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) securing its first overseas-based carrier, according to the Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Australia.
TTF CEO Margy Osmond said today’s announcement of a strategic partnership between WSI and Singapore Airlines brings exciting opportunities for the tourism industry, when the new airport opens in late 2026.
“This is a significant milestone for Western Sydney International and signals a major boost for the visitor economy of Western Sydney, New South Wales and Australia more broadly,” Ms Osmond said.
“This will increase flights to Australia from one of Asia’s busiest international aviation hubs, helping bring more overseas visitors to our shores from across the region, whilst providing a seamless travel experience when they land.”
“It’ll also unlock new travel opportunities for Western Sydney residents to visit family or friends overseas and make it easier for their loved ones to travel to Australia.”
Ms Osmond said encouraging international visitors to come to Australia remained a key priority for the tourism industry, with numbers still down on pre-pandemic levels.
The latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics show overseas arrivals in Australia were at 89% of pre-pandemic levels in June 2024, compared with June 2019.
“Today’s announcement will boost aviation capacity, helping return international visitor numbers to pre-pandemic levels or higher, to support the entire tourism sector and the many thousands of Australians it employs,” Ms Osmond said.
“This will also open up new opportunities within Western Sydney, the rest of the city and the state, given the new airport’s proximity to so many spectacular tourism offerings.”
“When visitors land, they’ll be just a short drive from the Blue Mountains, Powerhouse Parramatta and Australia’s largest Botanic Garden at Mount Annan to name a few.”
“This is a wonderful chance for visitors to Sydney to explore areas outside of the CBD, as well as regional NSW, further encouraging investment in tourism infrastructure, accommodation and related industries.”
