By David Crowe
Singapore Airlines will launch direct flights to Sydney’s new airport after it opens in 2026 under a deal that commits the first overseas airline to the $5.3 billion project.
Western Sydney Airport will add the Singapore flights to its existing plans for Qantas and Jetstar domestic flights, in a big win for the project as it nears 80 per cent of construction.
Western Sydney International Airport is currently under construction at Badgery’s Creek. Credit: Wolter Peeter
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Transport Minister Catherine King are expected to confirm the deal on Tuesday morning after months of work to gain an international flag carrier as an anchor supporter for the new airport.
The commitment promises to heighten competition one day after King backed the idea of a new federal agency to stand up for passengers in disputes with airlines over cancelled flights, delayed arrivals and problems getting refunds.
“We want to see lower airfares. We want to see more competition. We want to see improvements in services,” King told radio station 2GB on Monday.
While the government is yet to pass laws to set up a new ombudsman to represent consumers, King backed the key principle that customers should receive the service that they’ve asked for and paid for.
“And if they don’t, then they should get a refund or an equivalent service,” she said.
The previous government rejected a deal with Sydney Airport eight years ago to allow the incumbent to operate the new airport, making Western Sydney Airport a federal enterprise that will compete for business.
The new airport is intended to operate around-the-clock with no curfew, using 3.7-kilometre runway that can take aircraft as big as the Airbus A380.
Singapore Airlines added capacity on its route to and from Sydney Airport last November, with a fifth daily return service, but is adding options to its future plans by backing Western Sydney Airport as well. The airline’s lower-cost subsidiary, Scoot, has 12 weekly return flights between Singapore and Sydney Airport.
Singapore Airlines is the first international carrier to confirm flights to Sydney’s new airport.Credit: Bloomberg
Qantas and Jetstar announced their plans for the new airport in June last year, saying they would operate five Qantas aircraft and 10 Jetstar aircraft from the new airport once flights begin from the end of 2026.
That announcement only covered domestic routes, with Qantas saying the single-aisle aircraft would fly to destinations such as Melbourne, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
King expressed concern on Monday about competition between airports and the impact on customers, a key issue in the new aviation white paper.
“I think there is tension between airports, which in and of themselves are a monopoly. You don’t have a choice as an airline, you can only fly to that one place,” she told radio station 3AW.
“That’s why bringing on Western Sydney International Airport in Sydney will really be a game changer for the busiest part of our network, and that will change things as well.”
Sydney Airport recorded 9.7 million passengers in the second quarter of this year, up 6.4 per cent on the same period last year and close to the levels it saw before the pandemic.
Under existing plans, Western Sydney Airport will have the capacity to handle 2.5 million passengers each quarter.
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