New Sydney airport sends off first international flight
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Yesterday marked the first international flight departing from the brand-new Western Sydney International Airport, a multi-billion-dollar airport situated in the rapidly expanding suburbs west of Sydney. Following more than four decades of planning, this new facility provides an alternative to Sydney's main airport, which has been operating for over a century.
Air New Zealand's chief operations officer, Kate Boyer, expressed enthusiasm about the opening, stating that Western Sydney is a gateway for Australian visitors to explore the country. With a population of over 2.5 million, Western Sydney is expected to benefit greatly from the new airport's presence.
The single-runway international airport, Australia's first new major aviation hub in more than half a century, commenced domestic flights on Sunday and began handling freight services in July. Sydney's main airport, Kingsford Smith, remains the busiest, handling more than 42 million passengers last year. Unlike Western Sydney International, which is situated in Botany Bay just 9km from the city center, the main airport enforces a curfew on passenger aircraft to minimize noise pollution.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the new airport as a "wonderful new chapter" for Australia, noting that it shifts the focus from the city's central business district to the suburbs where people live, work, and invest.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
