On November 13, the Australian Arab Business Council (AABC) hosted the Western Sydney Airport Update event at La Castelle Bankstown. The event featured Katy Hannouch, General Manager for Community Engagement and Social Impact at Western Sydney Airport (WSI), who shared a detailed presentation with insights about the airport’s development, construction progress, and community connection.
Hannouch emphasized the airport’s 24/7 international, domestic, and freight operations. She pointed out that the terminal is currently 88% complete, the airside at 91%, and the landside at 83%. However, the cargo precinct has significant work remaining, being only 8% complete. “There has been quite a lot of progress, so we’re almost at major works construction for phase one completion, which is coming up in a few months,” Hannouch said. She also highlighted the numerous benefits the airport will deliver for the Western Sydney region and beyond, including:
- Unlimited aviation capacity as Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport is approaching levels of constraint and capacity.
- Improving air freight for NSW, with the airport set to become the new centre for air freight in Sydney.
- Connecting NSW producers around the world, further strengthening Australia’s supply chains.
- Creating thousands of job opportunities in Western Sydney and contributing significantly to Australia’s GDP, with WSI predicted to generate an estimated $24.6 billion in direct expenditure by 2060 and contribute a further $23.9 billion to national GDP.
- The third largest catchment of any airport in Australia.
Apart from the main airport, there will be a Business Precinct which, in its first stage, will include a 154-room hotel, a conference centre, a gym, a café, retail outlets, and bulky goods facilities. Construction will commence in 2025 and will cover 20.9 hectares of land.
Hannouch also highlighted domestic and international airline deals. Qantas and Jetstar are the only two domestic airlines that will operate out of WSI. Domestic operations will include:
- More than 25,000 domestic flights annually.
- Around 4 million passengers passing through the gates.
- A strong network to Australian capital cities and popular leisure destinations.
- A commitment to recruit 700 jobs.
Currently, Singapore Airlines is the only international airline confirmed to service WSI. International operations will include:
- Unlocking the airport’s 24-hour capability.
- Connecting WSI to more than 125 destinations globally.
- Working together to deliver a world-class end-to-end customer experience.
The presentation also featured details about how the airport will contribute to sustainability by implementing three permanently protected Environmental Conservation Zones on the airport site. A 117-hectare zone will preserve features of high environmental value and provide a buffer between the airport and adjoining areas of native vegetation. The zones will include 56.8 hectares of existing native vegetation and 60.3 hectares that can be revegetated.
Opinions about the new Western Sydney Airport are mixed. However, Anwar Ajami from Osta Services, an air conditioning mechanical services company serving Sydney, the Central Coast, and Brisbane, supports the new airport. “I think it’s an awesome idea, 100 percent, much needed,” Ajami emphasized. He further noted that his business would explore opportunities related to the planned business park next to the airport. Earlier this year, the airport welcomed its first official test flight, with a Piper PA-30 taking off and landing on the 3.7 km runway.
