Singapore Airlines firms up Western Sydney Airport flights

By Andrew Curran.

Singapore Airlines has set a firm start date for flights to Western Sydney Airport (WSI). In a March 24, 2026, statement, the airline said it would begin daily A350-900 flights from Singapore (SIN) on November 23, 2026.

While Qantas, Jetstar, and Air New Zealand have said they’d also start flying from the green fields airport, Singapore Airlines is the first carrier to clarify its timeline.

Western Sydney Airport becomes the eighth Australian destination for Singapore Airlines. The Australian market accounts for around 25% of Singapore Airlines’ capacity, with the carrier operating over 120 Singapore-Australia weekly round-trips.

“Singapore Airlines’ services to Australia’s newest gateway at Western Sydney will deliver more choice and strengthen connectivity,” said Singapore Airlines SVP Dai Haoyu.

The flights will take benefit of WSI’s 24-hour operations. A late morning departure out of Singapore sees a late evening arrival at Western Sydney. After 90 minutes on the ground, the aircraft will push back just before midnight for a pre-breakfast arrival back in Singapore the following day.

The airline will continue to operate its four daily round-trips between Singapore and Sydney’s primary airport, Kingsford Smith (SYD), which is slot constrained and subject a curfew between 11.00 pm and 6.00 am.

New airport four decades in the making

In early 1986, the Australian Government announced the site of Sydney’s second passenger airport, on what was then the far-flung outskirts of Sydney's urban area.

Four decades later, Western Sydney Airport will start cargo operations in mid-2026 and will be ready for passenger flights by late October.

“It’s been 40 years in the planning,” Western Sydney Airport CEO Simon Hickey told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation recently.

The airport, situated around 45 kilometres west of Sydney’s downtown, will initially serve up to 10 million passengers annually.

After opening, the airport will boast a single 3.7-kilometre runway and a shared domestic/international passenger terminal. However, the airport’s longer-term master plan envisages it eventually handling over 80 million passengers annually.

Hickey said in the run-up to the first flights, testing and setting up of the processes to support the flights was well underway.

Qantas Cargo will move its operations to Western Sydney Airport in July, operating from a purpose-built facility on the airport’s southern side.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson has previously said that Qantas is likely to initially operate passenger flights from WSI to Melbourne (MEL) and Brisbane (BNE), while Jetstar will target destinations such as the Gold Coast (OOL).

Virgin Australia says it is interested in flying from the airport but hasn’t committed to doing so.

Western Sydney Airport serving a big population catchment

Sydney’s large geographic sprawl means it can take over 90 ninety minutes to drive from some parts of the metropolitan area to the present airport, located just south of Sydney’s downtown.

Western Sydney Airport is targeting the large population catchment living in the city’s further out northwest, west, and southwest metropolitan areas, plus a good swathe of the greater Sydney region. All up, these areas are home to around three million people.

“This is Sydney’s first 24/7 airport,” said Hickey. “It’s really Sydney catching up to every other major city in Australia, and typically, every other major airport around the world.”

“Half of Sydney lives in Western Sydney, which is the third largest economy in Australia, with one of the fastest growing populations in Australia. This (Western Sydney Airport) provides great connectivity and opportunity for them.”

Singapore Airlines’ new flights to Western Sydney Airport are subject to regulatory approval.

Photo: Airbus.

Contact the writer: andrew@aerosouthpacific.com