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Usually, passengers clap when a plane lands. Today there were crowds cheering as Air New Zealand\u2019s inaugural international flight took off from Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI), marking a new era for Sydney\u2019s latest aviation gateway.<\/strong><\/p>\n WSI chief executive officer Simon Hickey said the airport had been designed to become Sydney\u2019s primary airport over time, with the capacity to scale as demand grows.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve designed the airport so that we can effectively and efficiently grow up to 82 million annual passengers,\u201d Hickey told media, including Travel Weekly<\/em>.<\/p>\n \u201cTo give you an idea, that\u2019s the size of Heathrow Airport today.\u201d<\/p>\n More than 40 years in the making, the airport has been built with long-term growth in mind, allowing it to scale as Western Sydney\u2019s population and aviation demand increase.<\/p>\n \u201cThe airport is built for the next century. We can continue to grow in line with demand,\u201d Hickey said.<\/p>\n Within just over a year, travellers are expected to have access to more than 250 destinations across Australia and around the world through WSI.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s not a bad start for Australia\u2019s first greenfield airport in more than 50 years,\u201d Hickey said. \u201cAnd, as the Prime Minister said yesterday, Australia\u2019s best airport.\u201d<\/p>\n Pointing to Western Sydney\u2019s growing population and economic potential, Hickey said he expected further airlines to follow.<\/p>\n \u201cAirlines are going to come because people are going to come,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The excitement was palpable in the departures lounge as the airport welcomed its first international passengers, just one day after officially opening and receiving its first commercial domestic flights.<\/p>\nFirst international flights<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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