As flight JQ362 taxied on the lone runway in the late morning light, for the 188 passengers on board this was no routine domestic flight to the Gold Coast: it was a front-row seat to Australian aviation history.
The first commercial flight from Sydney’s – and Australia’s – newest international airport took off on Sunday morning from Western Sydney International at 11.22am. It wasn’t just those sitting on the tarmac who were excited: plane spotters had jammed nearby hills to watch the historic event take place.
Onboard, 30 seats were occupied by Jetstar officials and journalists and the rest were for the paying public, made up of aviation super-fans, proud local western Sydney residents and the generally curious, all decked out in WSI hats and merchandise.
On the flight, western Sydney-based businessman George Rasho said he specifically booked to be on the inaugural journey.
It was important to Rasho because WSI represented the demographics of western Sydney.
“It feels like the government has heard our voices, giving us the privilege of having a nearby airport,” said Rasho.
“I’m proud to know that we are now put on the map for the world – and for the world to see one of the most multicultural places on Earth [in western Sydney].”
The federal government, which has backed the airport, and the City of Sydney hope WSI will give travellers a new option with round-the-clock, curfew-free flights domestically and internationally. Qantas-owned Jetstar is also vying to fly from WSI to Bali.
The low-cost carrier is flying Airbus A320s, which form part of Jetstar’s newer, more efficient and easier-to-operate fleet.
Before the first flight, passengers expressed excitement, relief and a little curiosity about being on the historic journey.
Madi Merc, who lives near the airport, booked places for herself and her three children.
“Being on the flight is everything,” she said. “I was nine years old when I moved to Australia.”
“I grew up on the farms around us,” said Merc, who said she had trained for half Ironman contests and participated in the runway run before the airport was open.
“To fly out of here now feels like the final piece of the puzzle,” she said.
“It’s absolutely wild to say that where cows and sheep once grazed, there’s now people flying around. It’s really cool.”
Moreover, Merc said she faced just a 20-minute drive to the airport instead of the hour it would take her to get to Mascot airport.
Jetstar expects to fly up to 24 return services a week from WSI. That means up to 14 a week to Melbourne, daily services to the Gold Coast and three weekly to Brisbane.
The opening of WSI as a new point of demand within Australia’s network of airports was largely met positively by passengers who milled around the lobby before tagging luggage and going through security to the gate.
Ian Edrich of Melbourne booked to go on the first flight to Gold Coast for the experience.
“I wanted to be on this flight because it’s a very historical flight,” he said.
“You will always remember this time in your life, and it’s good to have some good news.”
Later, return flight Q363 landed at WSI, from the Gold Coast, the airport’s first commercial arrival.
Sydneysider Craig Mainprize said his partner’s Christmas party was scheduled a bit earlier this year “just to go up” to the Gold Coast for this weekend “so we could get on this plane and come back just for the first flight into WSI”.
“It’s been fantastic for us and we’ve all had a great time and flying in over Warragamba Dam and seeing all the Blue Mountains, it was quite spectacular.“
The airport’s clean, well-lit space played host to a low-key celebratory atmosphere with T-shirts, press conferences and a mascot. The day began with a First Nations smoking ceremony, and the sense of place was evident in the design and layout of the facility.
As passengers boarded, Australia’s political class – past and present – gathered and spoke in a nearby gate. Speakers including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and NSW Premier Chris Minns, but the crowd was also filled with figures who had helped realise the project of the airport.
Aviation influencer Julian Tseng flew from Melbourne and was able to claim the first seat on the first domestic flight.
Tseng, who describes himself as a “bit of a geek”, said: “It’s a historical occasion, not just for Sydney but for all of Australia. It’s not every day you get to witness the opening of a new airport.”
Jetstar CEO Steph Tully championed the airline’s role in bringing “more choice and low fares to western Sydney”.
“This is an historic day for aviation in Australia,” she said.
“We’ve got a strong track record of opening up new markets, and western Sydney, one of the fastest growing regions in the country, is going to be one of the great ones.”
The initial route map is fairly modest to start, but it should expand over time as WSI settles in alongside Kingsford Smith.
To mark the start of flights from WSI and to induce passengers to try the airport, Jetstar announced fare sales featuring WSI-Gold Coast one-way fares starting from $54, WSI-Melbourne from $61 and WSI-Brisbane from $65.
The first international service takes place on Monday when Air New Zealand operates its inaugural flights connecting WSI and Auckland.
In keeping with the leisure focus of WSI, Fiji Airways will fly three times a week starting in March.
Additionally, passengers from WSI will be able to fly to Singapore with Singapore Airlines in November, and to Ho Chi Minh City with VietJet early next year.
At the end of next year, Virgin partner Qatar Airways will fly three return services a week to Doha.
Qantas will operate eight flights a week to Brisbane and Melbourne beginning next year.
Chris Zappone travelled as a guest of Jetstar.
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