Sydney to get second international airport by 2026

Despite Sydney Airport Holdings, the 84% owner of Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport, walking away from the project, the Australian federal government has confirmed its intention to go ahead with the building of a new AU$5-AU$6bn Sydney airport. The location will be at Badgerys Creek in the Western Sydney district, approximately 60km from the city’s central business district.
The decision to build the new airport is the result of a 2012 joint study on the city’s aviation needs. Paul Fletcher, Urban Infrastructure Minister, has confirmed that the Western Sydney airport is needed to keep up with increasing aviation demands, stating that: “A joint study into the aviation needs of Sydney, which reported in 2012, found that Kingsford Smith Airport would run out of available flights by 2027 and would have no additional capacity for the mid to late 2030’s,” adding: “So it’s very important from an aviation point of view to give Sydney the capacity that it needs and indeed the nation.”
The government has not confirmed whether once built, the airport operation would be leased out, but Fletcher announced that: ‘The commitment we’ve made today is that the Turnbull government will build Western Sydney Airport; when we get closer to the operation date the question then of who will operate will come into focus.”
The Australian Airports Association has also backed Canberra’s pledge to build the new airport at Badgerys Creek. “It’s a very worthwhile endeavour and will deliver significant economic benefits for the western Sydney region so it’s good that the government is continuing on with the process,’ Chief Executive Caroline Wilkie advised.
On-site works at the Western Sydney site should begin in 2018. Road upgrades have already started and a joint federal and NSW governments’ study examining what will become essential rail infrastructure is expected in the middle of this year.
Asked if transport links would be ready by 2026, Mr Fletcher, on Tuesday, was confident when confirming: ‘Absolutely.’ The airport is expected to provide 9000 new jobs to the Western Sydney area by the early 2030s, and 60,000 in the longer term.