First pictures reveal stunning Western Sydney International Airport
Construction at the new Western Sydney International Airport has finished.
Images of the government-owned airport, with just a few travellers wandering through, were released on Wednesday.
Anthony Albanese is scheduled to cut the ribbon today, ahead of trial flights in the coming months and the $5.3bn airport becoming fully operational in late-2026.
State-owned Western Sydney International released dozens of photos of the new terminal, with sunlight pouring through the two-storey windows facing the runway.
The terminal entrance has been designed to look like a grand 'Australian veranda'.
Much of the airport has been designed to be 'Instagramable' and the operator is spruiking its art gallery aesthetic.
About 5km of conveyor belts can sort and distribute up to 2000 bags per hour.
On the roof, nearly 9000 solar panels will help power the 1700 hectare site, which is twice the size of Sydney's other international airport.
All the buildings travellers will see have been finished.
Construction work on the cargo area and a fire station are ongoing.
Qantas, Jetstar and Singapore Airlines have committed to using the airport.
Western Sydney chief executive Simon Hickey told The Australian he was hopeful Virgin Australia would soon sign as well.
Sydney's Kingsford airport has curfew hours barring planes over the high density area and Western Sydney's 24-hour window is a key selling point to the airlines.
In 2026, five million passengers are expected through the airport.
By 2031, operators aim to accommodate 10 million passengers per year.
Long-term targets have 82 million people travelling through the airport each year by 2063.
'This project is on time and on budget and gearing up to open in 2026,' federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King said on Tuesday.
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