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Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) has secured the first freight airline for its 24-hour cargo precinct.
Qantas Freight will occupy a 24,000-square-metre cargo operation at WSI, including around 14,000 square metres of warehousing. The hub will be capable of servicing Qantas’ new and upgraded A330 and A321 freighters when it opens alongside the rest of the airport in 2026.
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“The new air freight facility in Western Sydney will help Qantas Freight meet the growing demand for e-commerce from our customers and will complement our existing operations in the Sydney basin and nationally,” said Qantas International and Freight CEO Cam Wallace.
“Western Sydney International Airport has some big strategic advantages for freight operations, particularly with overnight flights which will help ensure parcels and other critical freight can be delivered around Australia as quickly as possible.
“We are in the process of renewing and growing our fleet of air freighters, with the newer aircraft that will fly out of Western Sydney quieter and more sustainable than older models.”
The precinct has also secured aviation services business Menzies Aviation, which will operate a 22,500-square-metre facility specialising in pharmaceutical and cool chain products, e-commerce, and heavy cargo.
According to Beau Paine, global head of cargo at Menzies Aviation, the facility – which will include a 12,500-square-metre warehouse – would be able to handle more than 150,000 tonnes of freight per year.
“This operation will enable us to deliver first-class, interconnected cargo services at both of Sydney’s international airports, expanding our service offering to our airline and freighter customers,” Paine said.
“We’re excited to increase our footprint in Australia and support the country’s thriving air cargo sector.”
Simon Hickey, CEO of WSI, said he expects the whole precinct to support around 2,000 construction jobs followed by 19,000 direct and indirect jobs per year within the precinct and along the supply chain.
“Qantas Group is our first freight airline to sign up to our 24-hour Cargo Precinct, which will provide unparalleled opportunities for farmers, manufacturers and other exporters to grow their businesses,” he said.
“We’re already responding to growing market demands, including significant spikes in e-commerce purchases initially prompted by changing spending habits during the COVID-19 pandemic, by increasing the airport’s opening air cargo capacity.
“We’ve secured external financing of $805.4 million to develop the infrastructure for a stand-alone future-proof Cargo Precinct and our Business Precinct to meet business and customer needs now and for decades to come.
“This additional funding will support the development of roadways, taxiways and buildings to maximise the value of the airport over the long term. In turn, this will deliver more socio-economic benefits like jobs for the people of Western Sydney and beyond, and a greater financial return for all Australian taxpayers.”
The cargo precinct, which will include up to 75,000 square metres of warehousing, is being built to service up to eight wide-body aircraft at any one time. It is tipped to increase Sydney’s air freight capacity by around 33 per cent when it opens.
