Engineering consultancy GHD has welcomed the commencement of passenger operations at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport, following more than a decade of involvement in the project.
Since 2012, GHD has served as master engineer and technical advisor for Australia’s first major greenfield international airport in more than 50 years.
The company’s involvement has drawn on more than 1,000 employees across 39 of its 48 service lines, bringing together expertise in transport, aviation, water, energy, environment, sustainability and digital infrastructure.
The airport welcomed its first commercial passengers on 25 October 2026, with Jetstar operating the inaugural flight to the Gold Coast. Its first international passenger service followed on 26 October, arriving from Auckland.
GHD chief client officer Sonia Adams said the opening marked a major milestone for the company.
“This milestone is the culmination of years of work for our team but only the beginning of many millions of passenger journeys,” she said.
“Western Sydney International Airport is one of the biggest infrastructure projects Australia has seen in a generation. We have been privileged to support the project from the early planning stages through to operations, helping create an asset that will improve connectivity and herald an exciting future for Western Sydney.”
The airport is planned to expand over the coming decades, eventually accommodating up to 82 million passengers annually by the 2060s.
