Prime Minister Anthony Albanese opened Western Sydney International Airport on 25 Oct 2026. The report says the airport cost A$5.3 billion and is Australia’s first major airport built in more than fifty years.

Julie Lundmark from Sweden and a friend booked Jetstar flight JQ373, thinking they would fly back to Sydney’s main airport, Kingsford Smith. Lundmark said they only realized after landing that the plane had taken them to the new Western Sydney International Airport, not Kingsford Smith.

Lundmark said she had checked the airport name on her boarding pass, but when she searched the words “west airport” online, the result showed the main Sydney airport, which caused the mix‑up. A man flying from Auckland on Air New Zealand flight NZ165 said he saw the words “Western Sydney” and thought it meant Western Australia; he only noticed the error after he got on the flight.

The report says the new airport is about 45 km west of Sydney’s central business district, while Kingsford Smith is only about 9 km away. The report also says the new airport works 24 hours a day, unlike the older airport, which limits most passenger flights at night.