The Australian government released preliminary flight paths for Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), which is under construction and slated to open in 2026. Qantas Group earlier this month committed to operating up to 15 aircraft on domestic routes from the airport in 2026. WSI will be Sydney’s second airport, with capacity to handle 10 million annual passengers. Unlike Sydney Airport, WSI will not have a night curfew, making the flight paths a potentially contentious issue for residents living near the airport. The airport will have one runway when it opens.
“Importantly, the preliminary flight paths were developed according to airspace design principles that reflect community feedback," Catherine King, Australia’s infrastructure and transport minister, says in a statement. "These principles include minimizing flights over residential areas and reducing the impact on the community of aircraft operations at night.” King says a draft environmental impact statement on “the noise, social and environmental impacts of the preliminary flight paths” will be released later this year. Qantas has said routes to be opened in the first year of WSI’s operation will include Brisbane, Melbourne and Gold Coast.

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