Western Sydney Airport (WSI) Discussion

[jase05]

I might have been tempted when I was (much) younger, if it saved a few $$$. But now...

I couldn't begin to imagine a public bus journey from Campelltown to Badgerys Creek to start my oversears journey in J (with a basic generic lounge, at best, to comfort me while at the airport).

With mainly LCC's, including Jetstar, it wouldn't be very tempting at all. Some people may love WSI, but I doubt I'll be one of them.

But that’s the thing WSI is built for the future, needs not for me or you but future generations.
It might start off slow but in 20-30 years I think things will look very different

 

[Daveller]

Living in Canberra, usually by public transport. Either flying in from CBR or by train to Campbelltown, then changing for Mascot, then bus. Or, occasionally, Murrays bus direct to Intl terminal. If it's a very early flight I usually travel to Sydney the day before and stay overnight in a hotel. I've also been known to rent a car and drive to SYD early in the morning, although that's a bit of a pain (not to mention trying to avoid roos, wombats and other wildlife at 3 am)

I can't see any situation where WSI would come close in terms of convenience in my lifetime (well apart from possibly the rental car option). And if I wanted to travel up the day before, where would I stay?

Yes Murrays bus has a new time and will arrive at the sydney airport at about 5am for those people who want to take a very early flight

 

[HS-TQE]

I'd be surprised if QF doesnt at least have a Qantas club lounge there initially.

It may also end up being the contract lounge (at least initially) for all the international airlines flying one service a day as well.

It could be a contract lounge post-immigration for the international airlines and the QF Lounge for the QFg & partners on the Domestic side.

I'd be tipping the Domestic side will probably be a QFg lounge. So, based on the current projections of QFg being the only two domestic airlines into WSI initially, this means any future domestic competitors flying into WSI with launch dates in late NW26/27 or NS27 are highly likely to go without a lounge.

 

[SeatBackForward]

Caught this little bit in the current Master Plan:

Multi-aircraft ramp system (MARS)
MARS stands (described in Chapter D.3) have built-in flexibility to accommodate a single widebody aircraft or 2 narrowbody aircrafts and they have corresponding gate lounges to respond to these different configurations. They can accept an international arrivals flight that then departs as a domestic flight, due to the separation of the international arrivals path. The gate lounges can be used separately for 2 narrowbody aircraft or as one for widebody aircraft.

 

[clifford]

Yes Murrays bus has a new time and will arrive at the sydney airport at about 5am for those people who want to take a very early flight

I think I'd rather stay in a hotel overnight....

 

[Aeryn]

First jet aircraft to land at Sydney’s new airport as testing ramps up

The date has been set for the 737’s touchdown at the $6 billion Western Sydney Airport, a year out from the first passengers passing through its terminal.

www.smh.com.au

The NSW Rural Fire Service will land its Boeing 737 air tanker – named the Marie Bashir – on Western Sydney Airport’s new runway on October 28 as part of a multi-agency emergency exercise. The firebombing 737 will be used to test a full-scale response to a simulated aircraft emergency.

“737s are the most common plane in Australian skies and will be a mainstay on the runways and taxiways of Western Sydney International when it opens in the second half of 2026,” she said.

 

[moa999]

On WSI lounges, notices this snippet in the PER Airport Master Plan (draft) just published.

13.5.6 Common Departure Lounge
A Common Departure Lounge (CDL) concept allows both
domestic and international departing passengers to
comingle in a single, shared departure lounge rather than in
two separate, fully segregated areas.
This approach, already implemented at a number of
international airports, delivers a number of operational and
customer experience benefits. They can include a reduced
building footprint through a more efficient layout, a greater
choice of retail outlets and the optimisation of departure gates.
While current legislation does not permit CDL operations in
Australian airports, Perth Airport is planning the New
Terminal development to be ‘CDL ready’, ensuring that,
should the position change in the future, it can be
accommodated.

I wonder whether some of the smaller Australian airports (eg. PEE, WSI, ADL, OOL) are pushing this.

The big difference in Australia I guess is the differential level of security (particularly liquids) and access (ticket required for international)

 

[dajop]

On WSI lounges, notices this snippet in the PER Airport Master Plan (draft) just published.



I wonder whether some of the smaller Australian airports (eg. PEE, WSI, ADL, OOL) are pushing this.

The big difference in Australia I guess is the differential level of security (particularly liquids) and access (ticket required for international)

I guess the closest you get to this is OOL, where you go through to the domestic departure lounge, before proceeding through additional security and immigration to the international gates which is a much smaller space.

 

[SeaWolf]

I guess the closest you get to this is OOL, where you go through to the domestic departure lounge, before proceeding through additional security and immigration to the international gates which is a much smaller space.

ADL and CBR have that as well.
I'd be curious to know what airports overseas are doing the co-mingling of domestic and international passengers. I don't think I've ever seen it.

 

[Aeryn]

I'd be curious to know what airports overseas are doing the co-mingling of domestic and international passengers. I don't think I've ever seen it.

US airports commonly have domestic and international passengers in the same terminal - this is because USA doesnt do outgoing immigration checks (just ID check at check-in) ; they rely on airline data to know that you actually left.

And they dont offer true transit do force you to clear immigration and enter the USA even if flying onwards straight away.

 

[SeaWolf]

US airports commonly have domestic and international passengers in the same terminal - this is because USA doesnt do outgoing immigration checks (just ID check at check-in) ; they rely on airline data to know that you actually left.

Oh yes, good point. I'd forgotten about the US system of doing it. I think they're the only country (that I know of) that doesn't do outbound immigration checks.

 

[Aeryn]

Oh yes, good point. I'd forgotten about the US system of doing it. I think they're the only country (that I know of) that doesn't do outbound immigration checks.

At Buenos Aires' Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) its mostly domestic but they have a small number of inter-South American flights including to Brazil.

Common check-in and initial screening for the domestic, then once upstairs (quite hidden) an extra screening area for the 2 tiny gates that have international flights.

 

[SYD]

ADL and CBR have that as well.
I'd be curious to know what airports overseas are doing the co-mingling of domestic and international passengers. I don't think I've ever seen it.

I’m not sure what else they mean besides exactly that? Swing gates either directly to standard domestic arrivals / departures or from the secure ABF control space for departures (and seperate international arrivals).

 

[moa999]

guess the closest you get to this is OOL,

I read PERs description as looking for something different - notably the word "common" - ie. Combining domestic and international departure areas.

Possibly check-in, international immigration, back to common departure area, and then maybe a final separate security check to gate lounge (like say SIN)

 

[SYD]

I read PERs description as looking for something different - notably the word "common" - ie. Combining domestic and international departure areas.

Possibly check-in, international immigration, back to common departure area, and then maybe a final separate security check to gate lounge (like say SIN)

and ABF smartgates / biometrics?

 

[Himeno]

I’m not sure what else they mean besides exactly that? Swing gates either directly to standard domestic arrivals / departures or from the secure ABF control space for departures (and seperate international arrivals).

NRT T2 has a number of swing gates
They can close doors across the main international departures corridor and block off gates 64-68 for domestic use.

Domestic and International have their own separate check in, security, lounge/shops, and baggage areas.

Don't know what the swing gates at CBR look like. They are on the VA side of the terminal and the last time I used VA, they were still DJ.

 

[kookaburra75]

Don't know what the swing gates at CBR look like. They are on the VA side of the terminal and the last time I used VA, they were still DJ.

International flights from Canberra depart from Gate 5. To check in for international you head up to the International Departures door which is opposite the entrance to the Virgin Lounge, where you can then clear immigration etc. To get to your flight, you go down to Gate 5 and that part of the airport is closed off to other passengers, for departures and arrivals.

 

[SYD]

International flights from Canberra depart from Gate 5. To check in for international you head up to the International Departures door which is opposite the entrance to the Virgin Lounge, where you can then clear immigration etc. To get to your flight, you go down to Gate 5 and that part of the airport is closed off to other passengers, for departures and arrivals.
View attachment 473367

For clarity, “check in” (bag drop etc) is still before security? Then head to the lounge of choice / available before heading to the international departures area. Those doors near the VA lounges are the separation between Dom and Int PAX.

 

[Himeno]

International flights from Canberra depart from Gate 5. To check in for international you head up to the International Departures door which is opposite the entrance to the Virgin Lounge, where you can then clear immigration etc. To get to your flight, you go down to Gate 5 and that part of the airport is closed off to other passengers, for departures and arrivals.
View attachment 473367

Last time I arrived at CBR, there was an FJ aircraft parked at gate 7.

 

[kookaburra75]

For clarity, “check in” (bag drop etc) is still before security? Then head to the lounge of choice / available before heading to the international departures area. Those doors near the VA lounges are the separation between Dom and Int PAX.

Yes, and yes.

Last time I arrived at CBR, there was an FJ aircraft parked at gate 7.

Hmmm. Not sure how they would manage the separate access then, between domestic and international. I haven't used FJ, just QR and SQ in the past - but then that was a little while ago.