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Air New Zealand has become the second international airline to agree to launch routes from Western Sydney International.
The new service to Auckland will commence from “mid-2027” and has been supplemented by funding from both the NSW government and the airport itself.
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The announcement was made on the same day WSI’s terminal was formally unveiled and major construction work was declared complete, with its opening still on track for later next year. Air New Zealand now joins Qantas, Jetstar and Singapore in pledging to operate services from WSI.
“This new route reflects our commitment to making travel more convenient for our customers and supporting stronger connections between New Zealand and Australia,” Greg Foran, chief executive of Air New Zealand, said.
“We’re looking forward to offering customers our world-class Air New Zealand service to and from a world-class new airport.”
The service has been supplemented by a larger $16 million fund to encourage airlines to launch at the airport, which is aiming to welcome 10 million passengers a year by 2033. That compares to the 40 million that currently travel through the original Sydney Airport.
“Sydney is the top overseas city of choice for Kiwis, and this new direct connection to Western Sydney will unlock incredible opportunities for local tourism, business and jobs,” said NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism, Steve Kamper.
“The economics are very simple: if we want to grow our visitor economy, we need more visitors. The Minns Labor Government is proud to have worked with Western Sydney International Airport and Air New Zealand to secure this new route that will boost the Western Sydney economy. I look forward to working with WSI to secure further new routes.”
The boost for WSI comes after Australian Aviation exclusively revealed in April that Qantas would initially launch flights from the airport using its QantasLink subsidiary, rather than its main domestic services.
This is despite comments by then-chief executive Alan Joyce two years ago that seemed to suggest Qantas’ mainline domestic flights would be launching from the airport at the beginning.
