Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) has announced the launch of a new A$16mn (US$ 10.2mn) fund aimed at attracting international airlines ahead of the its planned 2026 opening.
The fund, called the Western Sydney International Take-Off Fund, is a collaborative effort between the New South Wales (NSW) government and WSI, each contributing A$8mn.
The fund is part of NSW’s plans of achieving A$91bn in visitor expenditure by 2035.
WSI forecasts the fund would enable the airport to bring in more than 162,000 international arrivals into NSW, generating around A$530mn in visitor spending.
The fund is aimed at providing a range of financial incentives for new carriers, such as passenger subsidies and marketing support that will help them sustain their operations at the airport during the early stages.
NSW’s lead agency for the visitor economy, Destination NSW, will administer the fund, and together with WSI, the two entities will allocate financial services to airlines on a case-by-case basis.
Singapore Airlines last August became the first international carrier to announce its intent to launch flights to WSI.
The NSW government hopes that the new fund will now incentivise additional carriers to open connections to the airport before ticket sales start in late 2025.
Simon Hickey, WSI CEO, said: “With tickets for our first flights set to go on sale later this year and our opening day rapidly approaching, this initial investment with the state government is very welcome news and another strong signal that Western Sydney International Airport is well and truly open for business.”
Spanning approximately 1,780 hectares, the airport is designed to handle 10 million annual passengers in its initial phase, with plans expand the airport to handle 80 million annual passengers.
WSI was constructed as an alternative to Sydney’s slot-constrained main airport, Kingsford Smith.
Although Kingsford Smith still has the edge with its close proximity to central Sydney, its CEO Scott Charlton has hailed WSI to be a “serious competitor”.
The NSW government however plans to use WSI not only as an alternative to Kingsford Smith, but also as a means to boost the regional economy of Western Sydney.
Margy Osmond, Australia’s Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) CEO highlighted: “It’s not just about flying passengers in, it’s about creating long-term economic benefits for the businesses and communities that will thrive around the airport.”
