Major international airline to fly from Western Sydney Airport - cheap fares on offer

Operations are ramping-up at Western Sydney airport as another major international airline signs on with Sydney's newest gateway - and more discounted fares are on offer.

Fiji Airways is the latest airline to sign on with Sydney's new $5.3 billion Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI), ahead of its opening in October.

Tickets are now on sale between WSI and Nadi, Fiji, with Fiji Airways launching three flights per week from March.

WSI CEO Simon Hickey said 400,000 passengers travelled between NSW and Fiji last year, demonstrating Australia's love for the welcoming island nation.

"More than 70 per cent of our global city's growing Fijian population call Western Sydney home and we're delighted to be delivering a new, seamless service for them to connect with family and friends," Hickey said.

Fiji Airways managing director and executive, Paul Scurrah, said WSI is a "natural" next step for Fiji Airways.

"It is one of the fastest-growing regions in New South Wales, and the continued investment and development in the area makes it an increasingly important gateway for Australia," Scurrah said, adding it's also home to one of the largest Pacific Islander communities in the country.

The new Fiji Airways services will depart WSI at 11.55pm every Monday, Friday and Sunday and arrive at Nadi just before 5am.

The first service will launch on Friday, March 19, 2027 in a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Introductory fares are now available from $639 return in economy and $1999 return in business class, if booked by September 23.

The new follows a recent decision by Fiji Airways to cease flights between Canberra and Nadi in the new year.

Popular Asian airline Vietjet also signed on with WSI last month, with tickets on sale for services beginning January 2027.

Two flights per week will run between WSI and Ho Chi Ming City in Vietnam, with plans to increase to three flights per week from March.

The airline's joint-venture, Vietjet Thailand, also plans to operate four times weekly to Bangkok from November 2027, but this is subject to regulatory approval.

WSI CEO Simon Hickey said at the time that Sydney's communities would be delighted by the opportunity to fly to some of South East Asia's top leisure hot spots.

"Vietnam is an incredibly popular destination for Aussie travellers - in 2025 alone more than half a million people travelled between New South Wales and Vietnam," he said .

Jetstar will be the first domestic commercial carrier to fly from the airport when it opens to passengers on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

The first Jetstar flight to take off from WSI will be JQ362, departing at 11am to the Gold Coast.

Jetstar will operate four weekly flights from Western Sydney to the Gold Coast, 14 flights to Melbourne and three to Brisbane, in Airbus A320 aircraft.

Qantas will follow with four flights per week to Melbourne and Brisbane, on QantasLink Embraer E190 aircraft, from March 28, 2027.

Early ticket prices from WSI to Melbourne on Qantas were less than half the price of flying to Melbourne from the existing Sydney airport.

The new Jetstar and Qantas flights are in addition to both airlines' existing services from Sydney Kingsford Smith airport.

Announcing the flights, Qantas Group chief executive officer Vanessa Hudson said it was a "major milestone" for Australian aviation.

"We're incredibly proud that Jetstar will be the first Australian airline to begin operations at Western Sydney International Airport and Qantas will follow early next year," Hudson said.

"We're excited by the potential of Western Sydney International Airport to spur local tourism and make aviation more accessible for millions of people in Western Sydney, who currently have to travel to Kingsford Smith to catch a flight."

The Australian Travel Industry Association (ATIA) said the airport's launch was a long-awaited step forward for Australian passengers.

CEO Dean Long said though the number of flights was small to begin with, they linked to "genuine holiday spots".

"Western Sydney International is a transformative addition to Australia's travel landscape," Loch said.

"It gives millions of people in western Sydney direct access to the network for the first time, and it gives the whole country a new gateway."

Criticism has been brewing about a lack of transport options to the new airport.

Named Nancy-Bird Walton after the pioneering Australian aviator who was also known as The Angel of the Outback, the airport is situated in the suburbs of Luddenham and Badgerys Creek, roughly 44 kilometres west of Sydney's CBD.

You can access the airport via the new toll-free M12 motorway, which links directly to the terminal and its 6000-plus parking spaces.

But the public transport options are limited.

A free shuttle bus will run every 30 minutes between the airport and St Marys station when passenger services begin, to be phased out once the Sydney Metro Western Sydney Airport line begins operating.

New bus services will also connect the airport to Penrith, Oran Park, Campbelltown, Liverpool, Mount Druitt and Leppington.

Ride-share, taxis and private transfers will also be available.

Free pick-up and drop-off zones, long-term parking, accessible spaces and electric vehicle charging bays will be available.

Some industry experts argue the airport's distance from the CBD, particularly by public transport - long a defining advantage of Kingsford Smith - could make it less convenient for many travellers.

ATIA's Dean Long said Sydney had been "pretty blessed" to have an airport so close to the city, noting the new airport's location is more typical of global cities, but still less convenient.

"Is it as convenient to get into the main CBD? No," he said, adding that Kingsford Smith would remain the primary gateway in the near term.

Mr Long also described it as a "missed opportunity" not to have a fully integrated rail link from day one, warning that limited public transport options could hold the airport back.

"We are going to have a brand new airport with limited connection ... that is something that can't be rectified by the time it launches," he said, but added the lack of curfew would open new flight opportunities.

Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils president Brad Bunting said infrastructure delivery would be critical to ensuring the airport benefits the region.

"We welcome investments such as the North-South Metro ... but there is a clear need to accelerate delivery of metro links between Tallawong, Campbelltown and Leppington, as well as improved connections to Camden, Fairfield and Penrith," he said.

A spokesperson for the airport said "utilising the new toll-free M12 and broader motorway network, Sydney's new 24-hour global gateway will be within a 45-minute drive to over 65 per cent of Sydney suburbs".

The airport will be opening on Sunday, October 25, 2026.

It has already begun handling cargo, but passenger flights are set to take off in late October.

Jetstar flights will begin from Sunday, October 25, 2026, when the airport opens, and Qantas will follow will flights from March 28, 2027.

Singapore Airlines will launch daily flights from between Western Sydney and Singapore from November 23, 2026. The airline will operate Airbus A350-900 aircraft, carrying 303 passengers across business and economy.

The service between Changi and Western Sydney will have incoming arrivals touching down at 10.20pm in Sydney, and outgoing passengers departing at 11.55pm for a 5.05am arrival time in Changi.

Air New Zealand has also announced flights to Auckland will take-off three times per week from October 26. Flights will depart Auckland at 6.05am, arriving at Western Sydney at 7.50am. The service will then depart Western Sydney at 9am, arriving in Auckland at 2.15pm.

Vietjet will operate two weekly services to Ho Chi Minh City from January 2027, increasing to three weekly services in March. The airline's joint venture, Vietjet Thailand, plans to operate four weekly services between WSI and Bangkok from November 2027, subject to regulatory approval.

Fiji Airways is the latest airline to sign-on with WSI, running three flights per week to Nadi, Fiji from Friday, March 19, 2027.

So far, Fiji Airways, Vietjet, Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand are the only three airlines to have signed on to offer international routes, while Qantas and Jetstar will handle domestic services. Virgin Australia has not committed to flying out of WSI.

There is no word yet on what dining options will be on offer.

In fact, that department is still to be sorted, with the airport currently seeking operators for restaurants, cafes, bars and fast food outlets.

Mr Martyn-Jones said the goal was to deliver a world-class food offering.

"We want to create a fantastic experience for our customers so they can relax and enjoy a variety of all-day dining options that enhance their travels," he said.

This article was originally published on April 21, 2026, with the headline, 'The 44km trek: Can Western Sydney's new airport overcome transport black holes?', and then updated on June 10, August 10 and September 9, 2026.