I took the first international flight from Sydney's new airport - here's the lowdown

After four decades of planning and eight years of construction, the $5.6-billion Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) officially opened on Sunday, October 25. On Monday morning, I stepped aboard its inaugural international service: Air New Zealand flight NZ166 to Auckland.

So, what is it actually like to fly out of Australia's first airport to be built from scratch in more than five decades? From the drive and parking to check-in, security, immigration, and what's waiting airside - including duty free shopping and restaurants - here is your first look inside WSI.

Getting there is a breeze. I live in Mascot - ironically, home to the Sydney Airport - about 60 kilometres from WSI. Yet, my Uber ride takes just 44 minutes, door to door.

There are two reasons for the smooth trip.

First, I am heading to the airport in the early morning to catch my 8.55am flight.

Second, I am travelling against the main flow of commuter traffic.

Western Sydney is Australia's third-largest economy and home to half of the city's population, with thousands of cars heading into the CBD in the morning.

That makes a morning drive to WSI (in the opposite direction of the traffic) relatively straightforward.

A trip to the airport in the evening (even if you're travelling to WSI from a Western Sydney neighbourhood or regional NSW), however, could be a very different story. So allow extra time for peak-hour rush.

There are other transport options to WSI - from public transport to airport shuttles. Read about them here.

Side note: get used to referring to the airport as WSI, because that's how the street signs refer to it.

Unlike the Sydney Airport in Mascot, there's nothing around WSI. Even after turning off from the M7, there's several kilometres of nothing until you finally arrive at the airport, which is a long, sprawling, low-lying building.

The main drop-off area for Ubers and other cars is right next to the Arrivals gate, with departure gate signs nowhere in sight, which I find a bit confusing. Other passengers taking the first flight are heading in using the Arrivals gate, so I follow suit.

Later I find out there's a Departures gate, too, but it's on the other side of the building, a few minutes' walk from the drop-off area. Perhaps the airport needs to install some "Departures" signs.

The best thing about WSI is, it's a small airport, with only one terminal, with one wing dedicated to international departures and arrivals, and the other wing all about Domestic departures and arrivals.

Even though I enter the building using the Arrivals gate, I'm quickly in the Departures area, checking in to Air New Zealand's self-check-in counters.

This being the first international flight out of WSI, there's lots of media, a number of regular passengers and a large number of airport and Air New Zealand staff pointing travellers in the right direction.

The main concourse is a sprawling, high-ceilinged space, with an abundance of natural light streaming in from expansive glass windows. But there's no single design feature of the building that grabs my attention.

There's some seating, a small take-away cafe with coffees, sandwiches and other light meals and snacks, and a convenience store, Relay, which is closed.

I self check in, drop off my check-in bag at the self-help baggage counter, and am on my way upstairs to the security check area within minutes.

The small scale of the airport is once again apparent when I'm on the first floor, with International departures clearly marked on one side, and Domestic departures on the other side.

The entire set up is incredibly easy to get your head around and navigate through.

I head to International security check. There are hardly any crowds, with just one flight departing today, so I get through the security check within minutes.

As I go through the security check, I'm looking for a sign that tells me - like at many other airports - if I'm required to take off my shoes and belt, and remove any electronic items (such as laptop and tablets) from my bag.

There is no such sign, but a security officer tells me a sign will be placed there soon. I'm asked to take off my belt and place everything in my pockets into the tray. There's no need to take out your laptops or other electronics from your carry-on bag.

Next up is immigration, which I glide through within minutes.

A decent-sized Duty Free store greets you right across immigration. It has all the usual suspects - alcohol, perfumes and beauty products.

Once I get past the Duty Free, though, there's nothing much except for one convenience store, Relay (this one's open and it sells snacks, drinks and travel essentials), a small coffee vendor and toilets, which too smell brand-new.

Air New Zealand makes history on Monday, October 26, by becoming the first international airline to fly out of the brand-new WSI. The A320 aircraft, with 166 passengers, departs shortly after its scheduled take off time of 8.55am, and lands in Auckland at 1.56pm, shorty before its scheduled arrival time of 2.10pm.

The airline offers more than 45 flights a week between Sydney Airport and Auckland, and three flights between WSI and Auckland. But chief operations officer, Kate Boyer, tells Explore that's bound to change.

"We definitely see this as a growth pathway for Air New Zealand," she says. "We've had more than 75 teams across the airline working on this route for about 10 months now, so we're ready to go."

With the exception of a few weather-induced bumps, the history-making flight from WSI to Auckland is mostly smooth. I'm seated on 5A - an economy seat that feels highly spacious. That's to do with the aircraft, which doesn't have any business or premium economy class, but offers more spacious seats at the front.

I'm seated next to Polly Akauola and her husband, Semisi, who live in Sydney's Granville, and have family in Auckland. They won an Air New Zealand competition on Facebook a couple of weeks ago, with return flights between WSI and Auckland, and two nights of accommodation in Auckland.

"We were so thrilled to win this prize ... on the first flight out of WSI," says Polly. "We're treating this as a short holiday, and also an excuse to see the family."

Their first impressions of the brand-new airport are mixed. "We like it ... it's small and new and clean. But there's not much there - no shops or restaurants. And because we live close to Sydney Airport, we probably won't prefer to take flights out of WSI."

That - of course - will be different for people who live in Western Sydney, and regional areas in NSW, ACT and even Victoria.

The writer was a guest of Air New Zealand