Qantas Airways and its budget subsidiary Jetstar will deploy both passenger and cargo services from Western Sydney International Airport, the carrier said on Wednesday. The airport is due to open on October 25 later this year, and the two airlines have set staggered start dates for different parts of their operations.
For the initial passenger offering when the new airport begins operations, Jetstar intends to operate up to 14 weekly services to Melbourne. The low-cost carrier will also run four weekly flights to the Gold Coast and three weekly flights to Brisbane from day one of the airport's opening.
Mainline Qantas passenger services are planned to begin on March 28 next year. At launch, Qantas will operate four weekly flights to Melbourne and four weekly flights to Brisbane.
Qantas additionally confirmed plans for cargo operations ahead of the mainline passenger schedule. The airline said its inaugural freighter service will depart from the airport's 24-hour cargo precinct on the evening of July 27. Qantas CEO Vanessa Hudson was cited on the airline's expectations for the freight hub, saying that the airport - referred to as WSI - will become a key hub for Qantas Freight, with more than 850 tonnes of freight expected to flow through the new terminal each week.
Other carriers have also disclosed plans for services into the new facility. Singapore Airlines said in March it will begin daily non-stop services to the airport on November 23. Air New Zealand opened ticket sales in April for three weekly return flights that will operate from the airport starting October 26. The New Zealand flag carrier had signed an agreement with the airport in June 2025.
The rollout places Jetstar as an early entrant for passenger connectivity from day one of airport operations, while Qantas staggers its mainline passenger schedule and brings forward freighter activity. The cargo precinct's 24-hour capability is highlighted by the airline's planned July 27 freighter departure and the forecast weekly freight volumes. Announcements from Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand outline additional international and regional services timed around the airport's opening and subsequent weeks.