Western Sydney Airport (WSI) Discussion

That is not true at all. Whilst passenger dtill has some room to grow at SYD, freight most certainly would struggle. Especially as freight really wants overnight flight access.

You also don't build an airport when the last one is at capacity, you do it beforehand and let it grow and organically increase demand in the region.

As many have said theres more people in the catchment of WSI than Adelaide. I wouldn't be surprised if WSI catchment becomes bigger than PER within a decade at the rate of growth in Sydney as well.
There are two different questions:
(1) Why was it planned for?
(2) Why was it approved, funded and built?
The answer to the second is always political.
Otherwise, we would have high speed rail already.
 
Don’t forget that 10m included arrivals and departures . So for each 200 seat aircraft, that’s 400 pax in a turnaround and that’s only 10 planes per gate per day. With an 1.5hrs turnaround per plane, it’s in theory achievable over 7am-10pm (if needed!)
I did forget that! lol
 
I just don’t know where these forecasts come from (well I know, government consulting, also explains our budget issues). If you cycle back say 20 odd years and look at the forecasts in the 2009 Sydney Airport Master Plan, and what is actually occurring, they might want to ask for a refund on consulting fees.

The 2004/2009 Master Plans had the below forecasts.

2024 Forecast: 69m passengers (Actual 41m)
2029 Forecast: 79m passengers (Last year 42m)

Between 2015 to 2025 Total Domestic Passengers in Sydney actually went backwards. They have not included the flatness in demand in future models, so these over forecasts in future models roll on.

WSI will get growth as mentioned above, but the Sydney basin won’t see the near 100m passengers per year they both are forecasting for 2045. Domestic just isn’t doing the heavy lifting anymore compared to prior decades, and it’s also in all airlines interests to keep a close lid on Sydney capacity to bolster margins on what is a very profitable part of the puzzle, can’t any anyone wanting to flood the market too much in what is a zero growth domestic market.

Don't forget that their estimates and projection was before 2020 when Covid hits, which led to WFH + Zoom meetings, and slashed the requirements for business travel. If decision to build WSI wasn't done by 2020, it would never have been built.
 
Had a great flight back from WSI to MEL this evening. Very full, ran on time. Tested out the long term car park and shuttle, that worked well. Even got to try it a second time as I left my glasses in the car so had to go back and get them. There is a metro station being built adjacent to the long term car park in addition to the one at the terminal area.

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I observed the numbers coming off the arrival from OOL and it was around 160 or so, pretty full for a Saturday evening.

Lots of construction still ongoing with the bars and shops etc. The Relay store was selling Penrith Panthers merchandise which was interesting.
 
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