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The NSW government and Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) have launched a $16 million fund to entice international airlines.
Comprising $8 million in government funding, matched by funding from WSI, the Western Sydney International Take-Off Fund comes as tickets are slated to go on sale for flights to and from the airport later this year ahead of its scheduled opening in late 2026.
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The airport has already secured its first domestic and international carriers, with Qantas and Jetstar signing on in 2023 and Singapore Airlines last year.
“This initial investment with the State Government is very welcome news and another strong signal that Western Sydney International Airport is well and truly open for business,” Simon Hickey, chief executive at WSI, said.
“This airport – Sydney’s only 24-hour international gateway – will deliver a major boost to the state’s visitor economy and provide further support for the vibrant and diverse tourism attractions that NSW has to offer for both domestic and global travellers alike.
“WSI is built for growth, with plans in place that will eventually see it become Sydney’s biggest international airport, handling more than 80 million annual passengers, which is akin to London’s Heathrow airport today.”
According to the state government, the fund – to be administered by its tourism agency Destination NSW – will bring in more than 162,000 international passengers to NSW, delivering an estimated $530 million of visitor expenditure.
NSW Tourism and Transport Minister John Graham said the airport will be “a massive growth engine for the NSW visitor economy”.
“This fund will pour jet fuel into that engine. The more passengers we can bring in, the more spending across Western Sydney’s incredible food precincts, the sights of the Blue Mountains and the food and wine in the Central West,” Minister Graham said.
“The NSW Government is pulling every lever we can to grow the NSW visitor economy to $91 billion by 2035. This is a crucial one and there’ll be more to come.”
Australian Aviation reported in October how the first official take-off and landing took place at Western Sydney.
The Piper PA-30 Twin Engine Comanche aircraft, VH-8MN, was tasked with taking off and landing at both ends of the runway in daylight, dusk and nighttime conditions to ensure the airport’s 3,000 Aeronautical Ground Lights (AGLs) were fit for purpose ahead of the 2026 opening.
The news also comes as the federal government announces a $1 billion investment into securing a new rail corridor to link the airport to Leppington in Sydney’s southwest.
Murray Joel
says:Why does ‘Sydney’s only 24-hour international gateway” need taxpayer money to get started? If it is so great, carriers should be lining up…..