A place in the history books but no toastie: my time on board Western Sydney airport’s inaugural flight

My journey begins at 3.57am when I step out on to the street in Enmore, wheeling a small suitcase.

I’m going to catch the inaugural flight from the new Western Sydney international airport on Sunday morning, operated by Jetstar. The enormous $5.3bn greenfield development more than 40 years in the making is opening its architecturally lauded halls to commercial passengers, with significant fanfare.

There will be 188 passengers onboard JQ362, with 30 seats reserved for media and VIP guests and the other 158 sold out in just 45 minutes, according to the airline. I get to be a part of this history-making moment. But first, I have to get there.

While the flight’s not until 11am, media have been asked to get to the airport about 7am, which means I need to leave at a very early hour if I’m going to test out the transport links from where I’m staying in Sydney’s inner west. A dedicated airport shuttle from Central station won’t leave early enough.

Resisting the temptation to catch an Uber and following Google Maps’ best suggested route, I walk to Stanmore and catch the N50 bus to Liverpool, where I wait for about 15 minutes to get on the 860 bus to WSI, one of several new local routes servicing the airport.

We travel along a main road past sprawling strip malls that give way to large semi-rural properties and eventually paddocks. The sun rises.

By the time I arrive at the airport at 6.35am, I’ve spent more time on buses than I will on the plane. Of course, it will likely be more convenient for those coming from somewhere in western Sydney, the Blue Mountains or even Canberra.

It takes ages but it’s all pretty seamless. As we step off the bus, I get chatting to John Ung, a Cabramatta local who was keen to check out the airport. “This was like, nothing,” he says, gesturing over the 1,800-hectare block in front of us, which was once farmland but now houses two sparkling new terminals, a landscaped garden and a car park.

“It’s about time that Sydney has a second international airport,” Ung says. His first impressions? “It’s nice, but not finished yet”. A metro station, for example, has been delayed until at least December 2027.

Walking into the airport feels like getting into a brand new car. It smells a bit like one too. Three architecture firms delivered the “once-in-a-generation infrastructure project”, whose walls are lined with panels hewn from local sandstone. I definitely could have got here later, I think as I browse the kiosk, where packaged sandwiches will set you back a cool $11.95. A couple of food outlets are still to open but, apart from that, everything seems pretty ready to go.

Following Jetstar, six airlines have committed to WSI, with Air New Zealand to operate the first international flight on Monday. The New South Wales government is subsidising most of the international airlines and the airport’s success depends on their ongoing commitment. The Jetstar chief executive, Steph Tully, seems confident about WSI. She says fares will generally be cheaper than at Kingsford Smith, they have already added additional services to the Gold Coast and are eyeing flights to Bali.

Chris Grant, a longtime St Marys resident I meet at the bag drop, is flying to the Gold Coast and back on Sunday, to Auckland on Monday, and to Europe via Singapore Airlines on its first flight from WSI in November. “I really wanted to be on the first flights so, as soon as they were announced, I booked,” Grant says. “The western suburbs have grown up – now they’re an international destination.”

There’s lots of excitement. Staff are handing out Jetstar merchandise and a person dressed as the airline’s cartoon plane mascot is wandering around. Most passengers that I speak to are travel enthusiasts or western Sydney locals. “I’m just excited,” says James Irwin from Penrith, who is wearing an orange Jetstar hat. “To be a part of history … it’s beyond words”.

The official opening event is held in the international terminal. Its guests include many politicians past and present, as well as the family of Nancy Bird-Walton, the pioneering aviator for whom the airport is named.

Addressing the crowd, the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says it’s an “extraordinary day”. As he’s talking, punters are gathering in the adjoining domestic terminal to watch the first flight take off, many of them in orange hats and taking photos at the windows. I’ve got to go board the plane.

The mood is jubilant on the Airbus A320 Neo. There are many rounds of cheers and applause, including for the cabin crew and pilots. The first officer, Aglaya Papadokokolakis, is a 25-year-old from Blacktown who said the flight was a “pinch me moment” and whose mum surprised her onboard.

I’m seated next to Alexander Lau and Daniel Kirkwood from Wolli Creek, who say Jetstar flights are usually cheaper from WSI than Kingsford Smith, at least at the moment. Their first impressions are that international flights are more expensive at WSI but they hope this will change as more services come online.

While there was sparkling wine and hors d’oeuvres on offer at the opening event, and an optional Jetstar cookie for passengers at the boarding gate, there’s no catering on board. The flight is so quick the crew run out of time to finish the service down the back of the plane, where I’m seated. I’d contemplated getting a $15 ham and cheese toastie for the full Jetstar experience.