Upcoming test flights for ILS system commissioning

Update 21 April 2026

To complete testing safely and thoroughly, the testing period has been extended by two additional days.

A small aircraft will conduct a series of flight validation runs on Wednesday 22 April and Thursday 23 April 2026, between 11:00am and 3:00pm.

Airservices is installing two Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) at Western Sydney International Airport.

An ILS is a precision Navigation Landing Aid which provides aircraft with both vertical and lateral guidance when approaching a runway for landing.

Each system must undergo both ground‑based and airborne certification to ensure readiness for operational use by 9 July 2026.

To complete commissioning, a small aircraft will conduct a series of flight validation runs. Details of the flights are:

• Saturday 18 April to Tuesday 21 April 2026
• During daylight hours only
• Each flight is expected to last 4 to 6 hours

Flights may involve repeated approaches to the runway as part of the testing process. Local residents may notice a small aircraft flying repeated low‑level flight patterns around the airport. These flight patterns are required to support system testing and validation.

To ensure safe operations while this aircraft is in the air, the airspace above WSI Airport will be temporarily closed to other aircraft during the above times.

Community members can view the aircraft movements via our new WSI WebTrak page, which also displays the locations of the noise monitors installed last month.

We appreciate the community’s understanding during this essential safety and commissioning activity.