First jet lands at Western Sydney Airport
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Posted by David Sexton
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28 October, 2025
THE FIRST jet has landed at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton), in what has been billed as a major milestone in the airport’s journey.
The aircraft was the RFS Marie Bashir, a jet that helps in rural fire fighting and the occasion was a multiagency emergency exercise held as part of testing ahead of the airport’s 2026 opening.
More than 300 volunteer and emergency services personnel from NSW participated, alongside federal agencies including Airservices, the Australian Federal Police and Australian Border Force.
History made at WSI today ✈️
— Western Sydney International Airport (@WSIAirport_) October 28, 2025
A 737 jet landed on our runway for the first time, kicking off a full-scale emergency exercise with 300+ volunteers, emergency services and federal agencies. A #MajorMilestone for Sydney's only 24-hour airport – every test gets us closer to welcoming… pic.twitter.com/wGWNZqInG4
Federal infrastructure minister Catherine King said the occasion was “a historic moment for Western Sydney International Airport, as this jet touches down on the brand-new runway”.
“A lot of hard work has led up to this moment, from the earlier days of construction to now rigorous testing to become operationally ready,” Ms King said.
“This project has taken decades of planning, created thousands of jobs and millions of hours of work.
“Already attracting significant investment into region, the airport’s future operations are also set to create thousands of jobs, on top of the 12,224 supported to date.”
New South Wales emergency services minister Jihad Dib said the event was an important milestone for the state.
“The landing of the RFS Marie Bashir aircraft at the new Western Sydney International Airport is the beginning of many years of showcasing south-western Sydney to the world,” Mr Dib said
“This is a proud day for our emergency services personnel and, in particular, the Rural Fire Service, who’ve been given the honour of landing the first jet here at the new airport.”
While the first jet had an emergency services role, it is expected the airport will play a significant role in the movement of freight.
According to airport management, the new airport freight hub is expected to increase Sydney’s air cargo capacity by around 33 per cent upon opening and provide dedicated access via the upgraded Northern Road and proximity to growing freight and logistics centres at Kemps Creek and the Aerotropolis.
