A full Jetstar flight to the Gold Coast became the first commercial passenger plane to leave from Western Sydney International Airport on 25 October. The plane took off just before 11.30am, after check-ins and celebrations. This marked a special moment because the new airport is now open for people in one of Australia’s fastest-growing city areas.

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport is made for both local and international flights, as well as cargo (goods transport). The airport has no curfew, which means flights can arrive and leave at any time of day or night. Its main terminal can handle about 10 million travellers each year, and cargo flights started using the airport in July.

The airport’s opening is the result of 15 years of planning, a long building period, and lots of testing. Now, people in western Sydney have a new place to start their trips, which makes flying easier for local residents. More international flights, like ones to Auckland in October and Singapore in November, will soon begin.