{
  "id": 16412927,
  "title": "Sydney’s new international airport opens to passengers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/sydneys-new-international-airport-opens-to-passengers-16412927",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-25T01:01:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/25/sydney-s-new-international-airport-opens-to-passengers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sydney's new $5.6 billion airport officially opened to passengers on Sunday after a decade of planning. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailed the milestone for Australia's most populous city, stating it was a significant moment for the country.\n\nSituated in Badgerys Creek, around 60km west of central Sydney, the airport will operate 24/7, providing airlines with increased flexibility compared to the current airport's limited operating hours. The existing airport, located closer to Sydney's central business district, can only handle takeoffs and landings until 11pm and after 6am, restricting airline scheduling.\n\nThis marks the first new major airport in Australia in over 50 years, according to Albanese. He expressed pride in officially opening the Western Sydney International Airport. Qantas' budget airline, Jetstar, was set to launch the first outbound flight to the Gold Coast from the new airport on Sunday.\n\nThe airport boasts the capacity to handle over 80 million passenger movements annually. Cargo flights commenced at the facility in July 2025, preceding the start of passenger services. The site, spanning 1,780 hectares, was purchased by the federal government in the 1980s and the project wrapped up in July 2025 after a seven-year construction period and 15 years of planning.",
  "summary": "The new 24-hour airport in Badgerys Creek gives airlines access to a fast-growing and ethnically diverse population centre.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Nikkei Asia",
        "title": "Sydney's new international airport opens to passengers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/sydneys-new-international-airport-opens-to-passengers",
        "published": "2026-10-24T23:10:52.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Investing.com",
        "title": "Sydney’s new international airport opens to passengers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/sydneys-new-international-airport-opens-to-passengers",
        "published": "2026-10-25T00:30:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
        "title": "Sydney’s new international airport opens to passengers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/sydneys-new-international-airport-opens-to-passengers-16403440",
        "published": "2026-10-25T00:55:39.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "First passenger flight departs new Western Sydney Airport",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/first-passenger-flight-departs-new-western-sydney-airport-16429013",
        "published": "2026-10-25T03:48:16.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "First passenger flight departs new Western Sydney Airport",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/first-passenger-flight-departs-new-western-sydney-airport",
        "published": "2026-10-25T03:48:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}