The Qantas Group says it will base 15 aircraft at Western Sydney (Nancy Bird Walton) Airport when it opens in late 2026. On June 8, Group CEO Alan Joyce said Qantas (QF, Sydney Kingsford Smith) would base five narrowbody aircraft at the airport, and Jetstar Airways (JQ, Melbourne Tullamarine) would base ten there. Initially, the aircraft will fly to Gold Coast Coolangatta, Melbourne Tullamarine, and Brisbane International from the greenfield airport.
The announcement follows the Qantas Group and Western Sydney Airport reaching an agreement over the flights that will result in at least 700 flights per year, offering around four million seats.
“As we take delivery of more aircraft and expand our fleet, we see Western Sydney Airport as a significant growth opportunity for the group, which will complement our existing operations in the Sydney basin and nationally,” said Joyce. “Western Sydney International Airport has some big strategic advantages with no curfew, technology that allows aircraft to be turned around quickly and a next-generation baggage system.”
The new airport, which is now midway through construction, will open with a single 3,700-metre asphalt runway and a single terminal capable of handling ten million passengers annually from day one. A longer-term master plan allows for a substantial expansion, including additional terminals and another runway, to cater for up to 82 million passengers annually. Unlike the current space-constrained Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport, Western Sydney Airport has room to grow and can operate around the clock.
Working against the airport is its distance from the Sydney central business district. The new airport is 44 kilometres west of the city. In contrast, the current airport (which will continue to operate) is only eight kilometres south of the city and has fast and efficient transport options. Nonetheless, executives from Western Sydney Airport have pointed out that one in nine Australians (or around three million people) live in western Sydney relatively close to the airport, giving it the third largest catchment area of any Australian airport.
“Our data shows that more than two million trips per year are taken by people who live in the Western Sydney catchment so we know there will be demand for these flights from day one,” said Joyce.
Meanwhile, the outgoing Joyce has sold 2.5 million ordinary shares in Qantas. According to June 6 filing with the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Joyce sold 83% of his stake in the airline, securing a sale price of AUD6.7479 Australian dollars (USD4.53) per share, netting him AUD16.87 million (USD11.33 million) in total. Joyce, who is wrapping up his tenure as CEO later this year, retains 250,000 ordinary shares in the Qantas Group.