Arabic version: مسافرون يشيدون ببداية سلسة في مطار غرب سيدني

According to ABC News, passengers on the first commercial services at Western Sydney International Airport described their experience as “seamless”, citing easy road access, parking and digital check-in at the new Badgerys Creek airport.

Jetstar Flight JQ362 departed for the Gold Coast just before 11:30am on Sunday, one of three domestic services operated by the airline using the runway for the first time. Air New Zealand flight NZ165 from Auckland landed shortly after 7:30am, becoming the first international airline service to arrive, before flight NZ166 prepared to depart for Auckland.

James Irwin, travelling with his parents to the Gold Coast and returning on JQ362, said their drive to the airport took 22 minutes. They paid $24 for day parking and walked “three to four minutes” to the terminal. He said the toll-free Northern Road and M12 made the trip easier than travelling to Sydney Airport, and estimated passengers could get from their car to boarding in under 10 minutes.

Corinne Leslie and her seven-year-old son Ethan flew to the Gold Coast and back on the opening day. Leslie said the experience had “flowed really smoothly”, with plenty of parking and less traffic. Other travellers also welcomed shorter trips: Anu Fernando said a rideshare journey from Strathfield South took 35 minutes, while Denham Court residents Saras and Mohammad Jamil said their taxi fare was $50, compared with $110 to the other airport.

Billions of dollars have been spent upgrading roads around WSI, including direct access via the toll-free M12 motorway. A metro line from St Marys to the airport is not scheduled to open until late next year, although buses and a free shuttle from St Marys station are operating. Jetstar and Air New Zealand are among seven carriers signed up for WSI, with Singapore flights due to begin soon and services to Nadi, Ho Chi Minh City and Doha planned to follow.