Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport opened to passengers on Sunday, marking the first major new airport in Australia in more than 50 years.

The inaugural commercial passenger flight, Jetstar JQ362 on an Airbus A320, departed at 11 a.m. Australian Eastern Daylight Time bound for the Gold Coast. Hundreds of spectators gathered for the takeoff from the new facility in Badgerys Creek, about 60 kilometers west of central Sydney.

The $5.6 billion airport operates 24 hours a day without the curfew restrictions that limit Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. This change provides greater scheduling flexibility for airlines serving the fast-growing western region of the city.

Cargo operations began earlier in July, with regular freight services following shortly after. Passenger services launch with Jetstar offering up to 14 weekly flights to Melbourne, four to the Gold Coast, and three to Brisbane. Air New Zealand starts flights to Auckland on Monday, and Singapore Airlines adds daily service to Changi on November 23.

The project created more than 12,800 jobs during construction, with roughly half filled by local Western Sydney workers. The terminal features over 40 check-in counters and 34 bag drop kiosks under one roof for domestic and international travelers.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the opening as a milestone delivered after decades of planning and seven years of construction. The site, first designated in the 1980s, now positions the region for expanded air travel and economic activity.

Additional airlines, including QantasLink services starting in 2027, are scheduled to join operations at the airport, which has capacity for more than 80 million passenger movements annually as demand grows.