I’ve been waiting for this move for a while, and I’m surprised it didn’t come earlier. This year, Western Sydney International Airport is bound to open for commercial operations, and we were still missing a move from the largest Australian carrier, Qantas. However, now we know that Qantas is going to be flying from the airport as soon as it opens, with an initially “light” commitment.
In this post:
- Qantas Makes its Move on Western Sydney Airport
- Jetstar Kicks Off WSI Operations on October 25th
- Qantas Coming in 2027 (With a Cautious Launch)
- Cargo Is Where Qantas Truly Can’t Wait to Launch Operations
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Qantas Makes its Move on Western Sydney Airport
There’s not all that much time before Western Sydney Airport opens for passenger commercial services. The airport is scheduled to commence passenger operations on October 25th 2026.
So far we’d only had two airlines announce intentions to fly to the airport and release schedules for such flights. That was Singapore Airlines along with Air New Zealand.
Now, however, the Qantas group has made its move and is going to be establishing a presence at the new 24-hour Sydney airport.
It will be doing so initially with its low-cost carrier brand Jetstar, and only later on will it be deploying mainline flights, albeit operated under the QantasLink brand with regional aircraft.
Officially, the airline has signed a five-year agreement with the airport for domestic and cargo operations, securing Qantas’s position as an early adopter of the airport, fending off possible challenges by competitors such as Virgin Australia.
The agreement will ensure Qantas has plenty of room to grow at the airport if demand grows as hoped and expected by airport and airline.
Jetstar Kicks Off WSI Operations on October 25th
The Qantas group will be the first airline to fly passengers in and out of Western Sydney Airport. The day of the first flight will coincide with the opening of the airport for passenger services on October 25th.
However, as I mentioned above, the Qantas group will not be operating the main line right out of the blocks at Western Sydney Airport.
Instead, it will be launching flights with its low-cost carrier Jetstar to initially 3 destinations:
| Destination | Frequency | Flight Number |
|---|---|---|
| Melbourne | 2x Daily | JQ373/JQ375 |
| Gold Coast | 4x Weekly | JQ362 |
| Brisbane | 3x Weekly | JQ388 |
As mentioned, Jetstar will be the operator serving the first ever passenger flight to take off out of Western Sydney Airport on October 25th 2026, when Flight JQ362 takes off bound for the Gold Coast.
However, if you look at the destination list, it becomes apparent that the Qantas group is trying to test the waters at Western Sydney Airport rather than going full in to this new market and catchment area.
These services are launching just ahead of the summer season kicking off in Australia. Melbourne is a low-risk destination, as there is plenty of demand for flights between Sydney and Melbourne, while Gold Coast and Brisbane offer travel options for holidaymakers heading up to Queensland during the summer.
Last note on the aircraft types: nothing special to be pointed out here. Jetstar will be operating all of its flights with the older generation A320s.
Qantas Coming in 2027 (With a Cautious Launch)
After having had time to observe what has happened with its low-cost carrier, Qantas mainline will also launch services from Western Sydney International Airport.
However, it will be a cautious launch for the Qantas mainline services. There will be two routes launched on March 28th, 2027, serving Brisbane and Melbourne. Both destinations will be served four times weekly.
| Launch Date | Frequency | Destination | Aircraft Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 28th 2027 | 4x Weekly | Brisbane | E-190 |
| March 28th 2027 | 4x Weekly | Melbourne | E-190 |
The reason I say it’s a very cautious launch is not only because only two routes that are taking off out of WSI, but it’s also because they will be outsourced to Qantas’ regional operator, QantasLink.
That means that passengers will be flying on a significantly less comfortable Embraer E190 on these routes compared to what they would get flying out of Kingsford Smith (SYD).
Therefore, these flights will be primarily testing what the catchment area’s response is to Qantas’ presence.
I would suppose that if results are positive, you’d see Qantas mainline deploy larger aircraft it directly operates and not outsourced ones.
Not The Best of Deals For Business Class and Frequent Flyers
I’ll wrap up talking about Qantas, pointing out something that might be significant for some passengers.
Qantas has announced that it will be operating flights out of Western Sydney International Airport, and it also announced the rates that it will be selling its first tickets at, including business class ones.
However, there is no mention of the facilities that WSI will offer upon Qantas commencing its services on March 28.
What I mean by pointing that out is that there is a huge possibility that there will not be a Qantas branded lounge at the airport.
That would be a significant difference with Sydney International Airport, which offers premium passengers a full premium ground experience.
Cargo Is Where Qantas Can’t Wait to Launch Operations
Qantas’s first flight, however, will not be a passenger one out of Western Sydney Airport.
The Australian carrier will be operating its first flight as a freighter service on July 27th 2026.
I would suppose that the area where Qantas sees the immediate possibility of having high returns from its investment in Western Sydney International Airport is cargo itself.
While passenger sentiment has to be built up and connectivity towards the city centre still isn’t in full swing from Western Sydney Airport, cargo has the biggest possibility of growth in the short term compared to any other line of business.
Differently to Kingsford Smith International Airport, WSI has no curfew, meaning that operations can run around the clock, 24 hours a day.
And that is of huge value for a cargo operator. Most cargo operations, in fact, run through the night as they cater to the needs of next day delivery operations.
An 11 p.m. curfew at SYD is extremely limiting for Sydney’s cargo capacity. That will change once operations start at WSI. Qantas will be able to deploy more cargo capacity with greater flexibility. I think this is where the airline sees the greatest value of having WSI in its network.