Arabic version: مطار غرب سيدني يفتح أبوابه بعد ثمانية عقود من الجدل
According to ABC News, Western Sydney International Airport will accept passengers from Sunday, ending an 80-year process marked by proposals, reversals and protests. The first passenger flight will travel from the new airport to the Gold Coast, a journey expected to take an hour and 20 minutes.
The search for a second Sydney airport began in 1946 as aviation expanded after World War II. Governments considered locations ranging from Wyong to Goulburn, while studies examined Towra Point, Richmond, Somersby, Duffy’s Forest and Galston. In 1973, the Whitlam government selected Galston, but reversed the decision less than a year later, citing financial and environmental feasibility concerns and the site’s proximity to the Richmond RAAF base.
In 1979, the Major Airport Needs Of Sydney group recommended a third runway at Kingsford Smith Airport and nominated Badgerys Creek for any future second airport. Nineteen sites were considered before the Hawke government chose Badgerys Creek in 1986 and began buying land there. Community opposition continued, driven by concerns about noise and environmental impacts.
The airport location remained contested through later governments. In 2014, Tony Abbott’s Coalition government locked in Badgerys Creek as Sydney’s future second airport. Funding and approvals took four years, and construction began in 2018. The greenfield project became Australia’s largest civil earthmoving project outside the mining sector, with 10,000 workers building a cargo precinct, passenger terminal and 3.7-kilometre runway.
The $5.6 billion airport has annual capacity for 1.8 million tonnes of cargo and 10 million passengers. Cargo flights have operated since July, while some nearby residents say overnight freight operations have caused sleepless nights. Seven passenger-carrying airlines, including Qantas, Jetstar, Air New Zealand and Qatar Airways, have signed up with WSI, with flights scheduled to Doha, Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City.
