Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) has welcomed a Jetstar trial flight – an A320 passenger jet – for the first time alongside hundreds of trial passengers as it ramps up the final phase of its Operational Readiness Program ahead of commercial passenger services taking off from October 25.
The passenger trials involve members of the public participating as volunteers, helping WSI and its partners to trial all stages of the terminal customer journey and associated services, systems, and staff, as well as providing valuable feedback that can help enhance the overall airport experience.
The program simulates a genuine journey with trial passengers allocated domestic and international flights, "checking in" for their flight, moving through WSI's efficient security screening, and engaging with different airport facilities and staff as they would on any given travel day.
WSI Chief Operating Officer Matt Duffy said this exciting final phase of WSI's operational preparations had been underway since August and involved hundreds of trial participants taking part each week.
"By October, we anticipate that thousands of participants will have engaged in our trial program - each one of them playing an important role in stress-testing our systems, processes and people. We're aiming to make these various elements to be as 'fail safe' as they can be," he said.
"This is also about giving us as much experience as possible in navigating the inherently dynamic nature of round-the-clock airport operations. It's a unique and positive opportunity we're able to leverage as Australia's first major international greenfield airport in more than 50 years.
"The interest from volunteers within the community for the trials was overwhelming - thousands of trial slots were filled within days. We're very grateful for the enthusiasm and support from the participants who are taking part each week in the lead up to our passenger services taking off in October."
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King said today's trial flight was an important test to ensure that Western Sydney's International Airport is ready to go on day one.
"We've had a firefighting tanker and hundreds of freight flights take off and land at Western Sydney International," Minister King said. "Now for the first time, a Jetstar passenger plane has come into land at the new airport."
"The airline and airport crews have tested systems like aerobridges, refuelling, baggage services and more, 54 days ahead of Jetstar's inaugural flight to the Gold Coast."
Jetstar Chief Pilot Tyrone Simes said flying the first service into a brand-new airport is a once-in-a-career moment.
"Australia hasn't opened a major new airport like this in more than 50 years, so this morning was a genuinely exciting milestone for me and the team," he said.
"We're doing this eight weeks out from the first flight deliberately. It gives us time to take what we learned today and build it into our procedures and crew briefings, ensuring everything is fully tested and refined well ahead of launch.
"Today's flight was about getting to know the airport before we carry customers. Crew flew the arrival and departure exactly as they will in October, then worked through the ground side of the operation: the taxi route to the gate, lining up on the aerobridge, and the turnaround that gets the aircraft back out again.
"By the time we carry our first customers from Western Sydney, every element of this operation will be familiar to us - and we can't wait to share that first flight with them."
Trial participants simulate both domestic and international arrivals and departures as part of WSI's ongoing program. They use self-check in and bag drop facilities, and WSI's modern security screening which includes extra-long lanes, additional body scanners, and central image processing to review multiple trays at a time and facilitate efficient processing.
Officers from the Australian Border Force (ABF) and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishers (DAFF) also take part in the trials, facilitating their integral role in the international arrivals process and border security.
WSI's passenger services will be taking off from Sunday 25 October 2026.??
The 24-hour global gateway is Australia's first major international greenfield airport development in more than 50 years, providing a world-class experience for travellers while supporting economic growth and enhanced connectivity for Greater Sydney.?