Western Sydney Airport: Aerial imagery shows development progress as key statistics revealed
Get an exclusive birds-eye view of one of the largest construction projects in Australia — now and in 2019 before it started. The south western Sydney landscape has changed dramatically.
Local
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local. Followed categories will be added to My News.
It has been dubbed one of the “biggest earthmoving challenges in Australia’s history”.
But once it is complete — the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek will establish the city’s west as a gateway to the world.
Aerial imagery company Nearmap has revealed an exclusive look at the construction of the airport from aerial shots from the first weeks of construction to today, giving Western Sydney residents a bird’s eye view of progress of the $11 billion project.
The Western Sydney Airport organisation has released a series of key statistics in the creation of Sydney’s second airport.
A massive 1500 workers, half of whom are from western Sydney, are currently building the airport, with the total number of construction hours exceeding 4 million.
A total of 800 piles have been completed for the terminal development, while 5.8 million tonnes of sandstone has been imported from the WestConnex and Sydney Metro tunnelling — to be used as a base of the expansive runway network.
Western Sydney Airport chief executive Simon Hickey said construction of the runway will start this year.
“Western Sydney International will open Sydney up to a new world of opportunities, eventually becoming one of Australia’s largest gateways to the world,” he said.
“It’s a game-changer for western Sydney, creating a new era of jobs and opportunities not just in the construction phase but for many decades to come.
“This project will create thousands of jobs during construction and many more when the airport opens and already, half our workforce is from Western Sydney.”
The chief executive said the aiport was focussed on being sustainable and minimising environmental impact.
“Millions of tonnes of crushed sandstone from tunnelling projects across Sydney, such as WestConnex and Sydney Metro, are being reused as a high-strength foundation to support the construction of the runway, taxiways and roads,” he said.
The latest statistics reveal an eye-watering 23 million cubic metres of earth — enough to fill more than 18 Burj Khalifa’s — has been moved across the 1780 hectare site in Sydney’s southwest.
Federal Urban Infrastructure Minister, Paul Fletcher, said wiitnessing Sydney’s new airport take shape from the ground has been “extraordinary”.
“These numbers don’t capture the sheer magnitude of this project and what it means for western Sydney and Australia,” he said. “To do that, you have to see it with your own eyes, which I’ve been lucky enough to do on repeated occasions.
“Western Sydney Airport is a bold and exciting project which reflects the confidence and aspirations of the people of western Sydney.
“It’s been great to see the pride that locals are taking in their new airport, and I know that pride will only increase when people see the finished product in less than five years from now.”
Western Sydney local and major earthworks scraper operator Alieu Turay said he was attracted to the airport for its “opportunity”.
“I came from Sierra Leone and I was hungry to learn, I had no opportunity to learn back home,” he said.
“When I came here, my mum told me I could be whatever I wanted to be — I was doing traffic control and I saw all the machines on the site and told myself” ‘I want to be here’.
“I’d never put my hands on a shovel. They gave me a chance. I started as a labourer. From there, I was put on a roller, now I’m in a scraper.
“That’s what Western Sydney Airport is about, it’s about giving opportunities to younger generations.”
Plant manager Gary Steen said the airport development was “the ultimate project”.
“My job is about making sure all of the plant on this project is up and running everyday,” he said. “I’ve loved machinery since I was very small and to have such a massive fleet of equipment to look after is absolutely fantastic.
“We’ve got the biggest fleet of scrapers on this project ever assembled on one job in Australia.”
Safety, Health, Environment and Quality Coordinator Dale Trench said she was passionate about making sure construction workers can go home to their families.
“I feel a deep responsibility for taking care of people coming onto Country,” she said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime project, not too many airports get built.
“I’ll be proud to show this legacy to my kids.”
First Nations Engagement Manager Peter Jensen said the airport was being built “on the doorstep of the largest First Nations community in NSW.
“We have an opportunity to create meaningful change within the First Nations community through employment pathways and genuine jobs,” he said.
“I’m inspired and excited to be on this journey which offers the opportunity to influence and cement First Nations culture and heritage into the DNA of Western Sydney International.”
Western Sydney International is on track to open for international, domestic and air cargo flights in late 2026.
Join the conversation
‘More than 160km/h’: 14-year-old rider allegedly ‘baited’ police chase
A 14-year-old boy has been accused of fleeing police for almost two hours across Sydney’s southwest, allegedly riding a stolen motorbike with a passenger hanging off the back at one point.
Read more
‘So, so devastating’: Mainstay deli shuts after 70 years
The closure of an iconic southwest Sydney deli has prompted its legion of customers to express how the institution – treasured like the Opera House – meant more than prosciutto and panini.
Read more