Qatar Airways will launch direct flights between Doha and Western Sydney Airport beginning Dec. 15, 2027, becoming the latest international carrier to commit to Australia’s new 24-hour gateway.
The service will be the airline’s seventh Australian destination. It already serves Sydney Kingsford Smith, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra.
Flights will begin at three a week, using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft configured with 42 Qsuite Business Class seats and 312 in Economy. The airline plans to move to a daily service by the end of 2028. Passengers will be able to access free Starlink Wi-Fi.
A key attraction of the new airport is the absence of a curfew. Sydney’s current airport, Kingsford Smith, is restricted between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., but Western Sydney will be able to handle flights at any hour. The airport will open to passengers on Oct. 25, after cargo operations began in July.
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Hamad Al-Khater described the launch as “the next chapter” in the airline’s partnership with Australia, one of its most important markets. He said the route would link Western Sydney to more than 170 destinations via Doha’s Hamad International Airport, boosting trade, tourism and investment, and would give exporters a direct cargo link to the Gulf.
The route complements the airline’s partnership with Virgin Australia and is backed by the Western Sydney International Take-Off Fund. Jointly financed by the New South Wales Government and the airport, the AU$16 million ($11 million) fund is aimed at supporting airlines in expanding seat capacity to New South Wales and is forecast to attract more than 162,000 international visitors.
Western Sydney Airport Chief Executive Simon Hickey said the Qatar Airways service would give customers access to more than 250 global destinations within the airport’s first 14 months, a strong start for Australia’s first major greenfield international airport in more than 50 years. He called the round-the-clock operation a major competitive advantage.
Australia’s Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said Doha, one of the world’s busiest airports for international passengers, would let travelers from Western Sydney reach “any corner of the globe.” With connections via Doha or Singapore, she said, the airport was “truly the runway to the world.”
According to CAPA – Centre for Aviation, local carrier Jetstar Airways will launch the first domestic routes on opening day, with QantasLink following in March 2027. Air New Zealand plans three weekly Auckland flights from Oct. 26 as the airport’s first international route, while Singapore Airlines will begin daily Singapore services from Nov. 23.
By the 2030s, the airport aims to handle 10 million passengers a year and almost 20 million by 2045.
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