Un investissement de plus de 3 milliards d'euros, accessible 24h/24: le nouvel aéroport de Sydney a ouvert ses portes mais faute de métro, il faut compter 3 heures pour s'y rendre

A first international passenger flight took off on Monday from the brand new airport serving Sydney in Australia, aiming to provide more flexibility for companies subject to nighttime flight restrictions at the historic airport. The facility, whose construction cost 5.3 billion Australian dollars (3.3 billion euros), is now an alternative solution to the main airport in the south-eastern Australian city, opened more than a century ago. Western Sydney International Airport (WSI), called Nancy-Bird Walton, must relieve Kingsford Smith, the historic hub which is approaching saturation with more than 42 million passengers in 2025.

An Air New Zealand passenger plane took off on Monday morning, inaugurating a regular service. “It’s not every day that we take part in the opening of a brand new international airport,” said the head of operations of the New Zealand airline, Kate Boyer. The new site, with a single runway, had already seen a first domestic passenger flight take off on Sunday, after opening to cargo plane connections in July.

Unlike Sydney's historic Kingsford Smith airport, which is subject to flight restrictions at night so as not to inconvenience local residents, Nancy-Bird Walton will operate seven days a week and 24 hours a day, like that of Dubai. The metro line has fallen behind schedule The new infrastructure is in fact exempt from time limitations (called "curfew"), its general director Simon Hickey reminded, thus promising "the airlines greater flexibility". It is the only one in this case in the country.

According to the airport authorities, Qatar Airways, but also Fiji Airways and Vietjet Air must begin serving the site in 2027. Ten million annual travelers are targeted in the short term then 35 million by 2035. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed the opening of a "new and wonderful chapter" for his country as well as for the suburbs of Sydney, making it possible to stimulate the economy, the area still being eclipsed today by the city center.

However, the Australian media point out a major problem: its accessibility by public transport. Nancy-Bird Walton is located 45 kilometers from the city center as the crow flies and approximately 60 kilometers by road. If a metro line is under construction, it is behind schedule and will not be completed for at least a year.

Only one bus serves it at the moment. For Sydneysiders interviewed by the BBC, reaching the new airport could take up to several hours, even for those living in the west of the city. “3h30 by bus versus 40 minutes by car is bad,” says a resident.

“We will wait until the metro is operational to go there,” adds another.

Machine-translated from French