Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport

Airservices is testing its two Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) at Western Sydney International Airport. An ILS is a precision navigation aid that provides aircraft with both vertical and lateral guidance when approaching a runway for landing.

AeroPearl, Airservices Australia's flight inspection service provider, is responsible for conducting airborne checks of all navigation aids installed by Airservices.

The aircraft will conduct a number of test flight runs on each ILS using a dedicated flight inspection aircraft. Flights are planned for Saturday 18 July 2026 during daylight hours, with Sunday 19 July 2026 designated as a contingency day should testing not be completed as scheduled.

Testing is expected to take between four and six hours. The specific flight paths and test runs conducted on the day will depend on prevailing weather conditions and Air Traffic Control (ATC) requirements across the Sydney Basin.

During the testing period, local residents may observe a twin-engine aircraft flying repeated low-level flight patterns within approximately 50 kilometres of the airport.

This testing will take place in addition to the previously announced Qantas Freight test flights over the same two-day period. The activities are separate and independent and will be monitored by Air Traffic Control.

For further information, please contact wsia@airservicesaustralia.com.

Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI), in conjunction with Qantas Freight, will be conducting testing of the Cargo Precinct at the new airport site. As part of this testing, live aircraft operations will take place, including aircraft arrivals and departures from the airport.

Aircraft involved in the testing will operate on the published flight paths, which come into effect on 9 July 2026.

Subject to weather and operational conditions, the planned test flights are outlined below:

Monday 13 July 2026

Aircraft: A321
Arrival: Approximately 12:15 pm
Departure: Approximately 8:45 pm

Friday 17 July 2026

Aircraft: A321
Arrival: Approximately 9:25 am
Departure: Approximately 8:05 pm

Saturday 18 July 2026

Aircraft: BAE 146
Arrival: Approximately 11:30 am
Departure: Approximately 3:30 pm

Sunday 19 July 2026

Aircraft: BAE 146
Arrival: Approximately 11:30 am
Departure: Approximately 3:30 pm

These flights form part of operational readiness and testing activities ahead of the airport's opening for freight operations on 26 July 2026.

Should further testing be required, the community will be notified accordingly.

There is no public viewing available for these activities.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the WSI team at info@wsiairport.com.au.

The Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Catherine King announced key opening dates for Western Sydney International (WSI) Airport.

Freight operations to start 26 July 2026

Minister King confirmed last week that freight operations at WSI will commence on Sunday 26 July 2026. Qantas Freight has advised it will begin operating from the airport from Monday 27 July 2026.

Freight flights are expected to operate during both daytime and night-time hours, with schedules likely to differ between weekdays and weekends. Flight times and frequencies will be determined by airlines and the airport operator.

Passenger operations to start 25 October 2026

Passenger services at WSI are scheduled to begin on Sunday 25 October 2026, with both domestic and international flights planned. Air New Zealand and Singapore Airlines have confirmed international services, while Qantas and Jetstar recently announced their domestic routes. Community members are encouraged to visit airline websites directly for the latest flight schedules and service information.

Ahead of operations commencing, WSI Airport and Qantas will undertake a series of test flights in July and September using the aircraft that will operate from the airport. Airservices will share further information about these test flights will be shared with the community as it becomes available.

Changes to Sydney Airport’s curfew operations from 1 November 2026

The Minister also confirmed that, in line with the Sydney Airport Curfew Act 1995, freight flights currently permitted during Sydney Airport’s curfew hours (11pm–6am) will no longer be allowed from 1 November 2026. Freight operators will need to either relocate these services to WSI or reschedule flights outside curfew hours. Exceptions will continue for emergencies or where special dispensation applies.

It is expected that operators such as Qantas Freight will transition their current night freight operations at Sydney Airport to WSI from 27 July 2026.

The Minister’s full media release can be found here: It’s official – Western Sydney to open to passengers on 25 October and freight on 26 July 2026 | Ministers for the Department of Infrastructure

Airservices will be conducting testing of the Digital Aerodrome Service (DAS) at and around the new airport site.

A small aircraft will undertake a series of flight validation runs on the following dates:

Thursday 4 June from 3pm until sunset

Friday 5 June from 7am - approximately 9am

During these periods, 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 do not represent the published flight paths for WSI.

Community members can view the aircraft movements via WSI WebTrak page(External link), which also displays the locations of the noise monitors.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) will conduct flight validation of the ILS instrument approach procedures at WSI following successful commissioning of the ILS earlier this month.

Each procedure will be flown once, with the activity expected to be completed within two hours, subject to weather and traffic.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be out in the community hosting a series of pop‑up stalls to share information about flight paths for Western Sydney International (Nancy‑Bird Walton) Airport, as the airport’s opening gets closer.

These pop‑ups are a chance for locals to drop by, ask questions, and have a chat with members of the project team.

The list of pop‑up stalls below will be updated regularly, so please check back for the latest information.

Webinars

If you can’t make it to a pop‑up stall, or would prefer to join from home, we’re also hosting online information webinars on the following dates:

• Monday 1 June, 6pm–7pm
• Monday 29 June, 6pm–7pm

If you’d like to take part, please register here.

Registered participants will receive an email with a link to join the webinar 24 hours before the session.

Pop ups schedule

Airservices will be conducting testing of the Digital Aerodrome Service (DAS) at and around the new airport site.

A small aircraft will undertake a series of flight validation runs on the following dates:

Wednesday 29 April - Friday 1 May 2026

Monday 4 May - Friday 8 May 2026

Monday 11 May 2026

Thursday 14 May 2026 - Friday 15 May 2026

Flight testing will occur during daylight hours only, most likely in the morning, and is expected to last approximately 2–3 hours on each testing day.

The flights may involve repeated approaches to the runway, as well as landing and departing, as part of the testing process.

During these periods, 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 do not represent the published flight paths for WSI.

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

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.

Airservices will be conducting testing of the Digital Aerodrome Service (DAS) at and around the new Western Sydney International Airport site on Thursday 12 February between 11am and 5pm.

Local residents may notice a helicopter flying in a low flight pattern during these times. 

For any questions and concerns, please contact wsia@airservicesaustralia.com