Team behind Western Sydney Airport took on Telstra to bring Optus to life in Australia
THE dynamic duo that launched Optus in Australia to take on Telstra is in another underdog fight — steering Western Sydney Airport. Paul O’Sullivan and Paul Fletcher reveal their ambitions for Badgerys Creek in their first interview together.
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THE two men who launched Optus in Australia to take on Telstra are now prepared for another massive underdog fight as they steer Western Sydney Airport.
Former Optus top team Paul O’Sullivan and Paul Fletcher — who is now the federal Infrastructure Minister — have pitted themselves against the established Sydney Airport at Mascot.
The pair worked together to successfully launch Optus in 1991 and have reunited to bring the city its second airport, revealing their ambitions for Badgerys Creek in their first interview together.
“Our goal is to be the best airport in Australia, not just in the region,” Mr O’Sullivan, the WSA Co chair, told The Daily Telegraph.
“I’m familiar in my former life with competing with a much bigger player and giving people a reason as to why they should actually switch to a much smaller initial player, and the same logic applies here.
“We are working in a very focused way to make sure the airline experience and the passenger experience going through the airport is way better than what you would get with the incumbent airport, and that will give people a really good reason to come to us.”
Mr Fletcher, who was formerly corporate affairs director at the telco under Mr O’Sullivan, added: “There’s a number of reasons why we have a high degree of confidence; the fact that two million people will be closer to WSA than Kingsford Smith.
“The fact that this is an airport which won’t have a curfew. The fact that we are close to logistics hubs in Western Sydney which will be important for freight.”
He also said there were “already international airlines that can’t get slots at Kingsford Smith”.
To get to number one, Mr O’Sullivan said the airport would be one of the most digitally advanced aviation facilities in the world, using new technologies like 5G and biometrics to entice passengers and airlines to the $5.3 billion Commonwealth-funded project.
Earthworks are set to begin at the location 50km west of the CBD this year.
“It’s one of the biggest earthmoving projects undertaken in Australia outside of mining … about 12 M7’s in terms of earthworks,” Mr O’Sullivan said.