First passenger jet lands at WSI as trials ramp up

“Australia hasn’t opened a major new airport like this in more than 50 years, so this morning was a genuinely exciting milestone for me and the team,” said Jetstar chief pilot Tyrone Simes, who operated the test flight.

“We’re doing this eight weeks out from the first flight deliberately. It gives us time to take what we learned today and build it into our procedures and crew briefings, ensuring everything is fully tested and refined well ahead of launch.

“Today’s flight was about getting to know the airport before we carry customers. Crew flew the arrival and departure exactly as they will in October, then worked through the ground side of the operation: the taxi route to the gate, lining up on the aerobridge, and the turnaround that gets the aircraft back out again.

“By the time we carry our first customers from Western Sydney, every element of this operation will be familiar to us – and we can’t wait to share that first flight with them.”

Speaking to media at WSI, Jetstar chief operating officer Matt Franzi said the airline is seeing strong demand for its Western Sydney services, with its Gold Coast flights having been increased to daily more than two months before the airport opened.

“The excitement around Western Sydney is very big. Not just with Jetstar, but of course its customers,” he said.

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“Our inaugural flight on the 25th is already sold out. It sold out within hours, and our flights that start the day after are very full as well. So, we think there’s a big demand for Western Sydney, and we’re pretty excited about that.”

The arrival comes as WSI enters its final phase of operational testing, with locals taking part in passenger trials mapping out the full simulated journey from check-in through to security, boarding, arrival, and baggage claim.

According to WSI chief operating officer Matt Duffy, hundreds of participants have joined the trials since they began in August.

“By October, we anticipate that thousands of participants will have engaged in our trial program – each one of them playing an important role in stress-testing our systems, processes and people. We’re aiming to make these various elements to be as ‘fail safe’ as they can be,” he said.

“This is also about giving us as much experience as possible in navigating the inherently dynamic nature of round-the-clock airport operations. It’s a unique and positive opportunity we’re able to leverage as Australia’s first major international greenfield airport in more than 50 years.

“The interest from volunteers within the community for the trials was overwhelming – thousands of trial slots were filled within days.

“We’re very grateful for the enthusiasm and support from the participants who are taking part each week in the lead up to our passenger services taking off in October.”

WSI opened to freight services in July, with Qantas Freight, Team Global Express and Texel Air flying to the cargo precinct. Aside from Jetstar, QantasLink, Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand, and Vietjet have all confirmed they will operate passenger flights to Western Sydney.