SIA Becomes First Foreign Airline To Commit To New Sydney Airport

The new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) has taken the important step of gaining its first overseas-based airline tenant, as the airport progresses toward its planned 2026 opening.

Singapore Airlines on Aug. 27 confirmed its intention to operate at the airport when it eventually opens. This follows a memorandum of understanding signed between the two parties in 2023.

There are no details yet about what SIA’s services at the airport will entail, but WSI said commercial discussions about the carrier’s operations there are continuing.

WSI is expected to initiate flights in late 2026. It will serve the growing western part of the greater Sydney catchment area and will take some pressure off the existing Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, which is located close to the city’s center.

Qantas and its Jetstar subsidiary have previously committed to serving WSI. In June 2023, the Qantas Group announced it will operate up to 15 narrowbody aircraft—10 from Jetstar and five from Qantas—on domestic routes from WSI within the first year.

The new airport has received a “positive response” from airlines, said WSI CEO Simon Hickey. He cited WSI’s 24-hr. operating capability as a key selling point. In contrast, SYD has a nighttime curfew.

With WSI able to operate late-night departures, SIA could potentially offer business travelers the ability to complete a day’s work in Sydney, then take an overnight flight to arrive in Singapore early in the morning. Such departure timings could also improve transit opportunities in Singapore, he said.

Hickey said WSI’s combined international and domestic terminal building, advanced baggage processing equipment and 5-min. taxi times will ease connections at the airport.

WSI’s development is now more than 80% completed, Hickey said. The airport finished construction on the terminal building’s roof in July.

The agreement with WSI “reflects our commitment to enhancing network connectivity for travelers to and from Sydney, and providing additional services for Australia, which is a major market for the Singapore Airlines Group,” said Louis Arul, SIA’s regional vice president for Southwest Pacific.

Singapore Airlines already serves SYD and six other airports in Australia. It accounts for about 5% of weekly international seats at SYD, giving it the fifth-largest share behind Qantas, Emirates, Jetstar and Air New Zealand, according to data from CAPA – Centre for Aviation and OAG Schedules Analyser.