: So welcome everybody to this wonderful milestone, completing all of our major work contracts and announcing Air New Zealand, and I'll open up to questions.
JOURNALIST: The Prime Minister says this is the best airport in Australia - what makes it so?
SIMON HICKEY: Well, I've been to a lot of airports in Australia, and this is by far the best looking airport. The design is brilliant. When you go through an airport, it's actually quite a stressful experience for most passengers, and what reduces that stress is natural light and air and easy way-finding, and we've got all of those elements are here. When you come into this airport, there's so much natural light. Here we are standing under a skylight down in the lowest level, giving lots of natural light in your bag pickup area, which normally is a small and pokey place and so we've really used that design throughout to make sure that people feel less stressed as they go through this airport.
JOURNALIST: Can you tell us about some of the features and capabilities of this terminal that make it the cutting edge, before it's time, compared to airports around the world?
SIMON HICKEY: So, we've been we've been lucky in a way, in that a greenfield airport means that we can start from scratch, and we can look at what's available around the world and bring that to fruition here at this airport. And so that means we've been very thoughtful about what we want to really lean into. We've used a lot of technology at this airport, so we've got the most advanced baggage system. What that means is that when the aircraft is ready to be made up, all of the bags will come down together, and there's no waiting, and there's, you know, there's no intervention amongst that bag. So it's going to make it into that aircraft. It means that we've got five minute taxiing time. We've used technology by design to reduce the amount of time you're going to spend from when you get to when you land the aircraft and get to the terminal. That means you're quicker home, you're quicker to business, you're quicker taking off. So we've used all of those features throughout and there's lots of those features. We've made sure that we're an airport for all people, for everybody. So we've really been thoughtful about how we're going to engage with people who've got all abilities to get through this airport safely and with less stress.
JOURNALIST: Obviously, the completion is important. It marks quite a significant shift from building here at the site to testing. What does the testing program look like ahead of the opening next year?
SIMON HICKEY: Yeah, so we actually stress test everything at this airport. We have got all that technology that I talked about. We turn it all off, we work out all of our systems that are actually how we get around all of those, all of our contingency planning. We actually work to put everything together so that we can actually when we open, we've built that muscle that is capable of managing one of Australia's best airports. And so, we're really actually going to stress test this airport. We've got in Fraport, who have opened 37 airports, amongst the people that are on our team, and we're working with them to ensure that we can put in over 1000 operating procedures and make sure that we're ready to go the day that we welcome our first passengers.
JOURNALIST: Will you be stress testing parking spaces as well? Is there enough parking?
SIMON HICKEY: So, we've got plenty of parking. We know that parking is important, and of course, we will be stress testing the parking. We're getting a parking operator who we're out in market and working with at the moment. And we've got two great big car parks, but they'll also have car hire, you know, so car share. We'll have buses, new bus connections that'll take you to the major cities that surround us - Liverpool, Penrith, Campbelltown, etc. So we've got the new motorway, the M12. So from here, without going through one set of traffic lights, you can get to Parramatta, or you can get to the CBD. The first set of traffic light is when you get there. So that is the design of this airport, interconnected across Sydney.
JOURNALIST: Western Sydney Airport is going to operate 24/7 and that means it's another option for flights that currently land in the shoulder period either side of the curfew period at Sydney Airport. Is it fair enough that Sydney Airport may lose flights that come in at Port Botany, even if it means that residents under the flight path here are going to cop more noise?
SIMON HICKEY: So, we've been designed, for more than 40 years, our land use planning has been designed around 24/7. And so 24/7 - most airports in Australia are 24/7 airports, and Sydney has, you know, that is going to be a great economic boost for Sydney. 24/7 gives us an edge. It means that we will be able to connect through the major hub banks of international airports. It means that people can get onwards in their journeys. They have more options than they would have otherwise. And so it's actually a really important part of the mix for Western Sydney Airport. It also means that freight, which comes in in the middle of the night, means that we can build up that freight hub in Sydney that we don't have, and we're going to start by increasing air freight capacity by over 30 per cent on day one of operations here at Western Sydney International, with the ability to grow that to more than four times the capability that we've got. There are slots that are still available at Sydney Airport so those aircraft can move between where they are from coming in slightly before their curfew in the morning. But nonetheless, I think it is a great opportunity for Western Sydney to grow into the future, and the land use planning that aligns with that.
JOURNALIST: This might be one for the PM. Are you open to regulatory changes to the regulatory status of (inaudible) with Air New Zealand, say, it's a good announcement but we'd like to see more airlines.
ANTHONY ALBANESE, PRIME MINISTER: Look, we would expect that there will be more airlines signing on. And the objective here is for this to be a full international and domestic airport. This is - because it's the first new airport in 50 years - what the operators have done is to build in global best practice. So, working in everything from the using smart technology, effectively, this is the best because it's the newest, and that will make an enormous difference. It will also make it very attractive to people. Singapore Airlines and Qantas and Air New Zealand mean that it'll connect up with other ongoing flights as well. But I would expect that the airlines in the lead up to 2026 it's a great sign that you have Qantas will operate its full operations, as well as Jetstar, as well as Singapore Airlines and Air New Zealand are here. That's a sign of confidence in this airport.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, you may have experienced this yourself, coming in today, it's still pretty complicated getting into the airport. Obviously, it's not fully delivered yet, but you're driving through single lanes, rural roads. Without the M12 and the Metro connection, it's going to be really difficult for people to get here. As far as we know, neither are going to be complete by the time this airport is ready to be open. What can you tell us about that?
PRIME MINISTER: Well, we've worked with considerable investment in both rail and road connections from this airport. It is true that not everything will be operating on day one, but a lot of work is being done and considerable investment to make sure that this airport is accessible. And the amount of road works that are being done is quite extraordinary. There are many billions of dollars being invested, and that will have a benefit as well for businesses that are located here in Western Sydney.
JOURNALIST: One for the PM and the Transport Minister please. Virgin has issued a prospectus that shows it's not intending to make a profit on its Qatar flights. Is that alliance just a means to get around your Government's refusal to grant Qatar more flights?
PRIME MINISTER: No.
JOURNALIST: A question about the Air India and Indigo. Can anybody confirm if you are currently in talks with those airlines?
SIMON HICKEY: I won't confirm any airlines that we're talking to, but I can say that we're talking to a lot of airlines. So, at the recent routes conference, we spoke to over 30 airlines. And obviously there's a lot of interest in Western Sydney International. We're hitting milestones here. There's a lot of momentum at this point in time. But I won't talk to any particular airlines that we're talking to.
JOURNALIST: Just to follow up on that. How many airlines do you expect to have locked in by the time the airport is open next year?
SIMON HICKEY: I'm pretty happy with where we are at the moment, but what I will tell you is that we will continue to grow. We're welcoming Air New Zealand. I think that is a great addition and a great level of support for this airport and for the connectivity between Australia and New Zealand that that's going to contribute. So, that's a really important milestone for us as well, is to connect across the Tasman. And we will continue to grow those but not just on day one, they'll continue to grow over the decade ahead.
JOURNALIST: Why is Air New Zealand not flying till 2027? Why is there that lag there?
GREG FORAN, AIR NEW ZEALAND CEO: Yeah, that's when we plan to get services underway. Actually, Sydney is our largest international port at the moment, we're flying in five times a day, 35 times a week. We see this airport as being critical to our growth aspirations, and those are dependent on when aircraft become available and as demand grows. But we're seeing more and more demand to this market. So, 2027 is when we plan to be here, and we see it as an 'and' to what we already do. But what a wonderful facility, and we're very supportive of this.
JOURNALIST: You're not keen to be here on day one?
GREG FORGAN: We'll get here when the schedule makes sense and when aircraft become available. As an airline, you also have many other priorities that you're dealing with, and at this stage, the team are planning for 2027.
JOURNALIST: Will it bring prices down?
GREG FORGAN: Look, pricing is dependent on many things, as we all know in the airline business, but undoubtedly, as you get more demand generally, that's what happens.
JOURNALIST: PM can I ask you, are you concerned our sanctions on the Israeli ministers damage our relationship with the US?
PRIME MINISTER: No, Australia makes their own decisions based upon the assessments that we make, and we've joined with four of the Five Eyes countries including New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as Norway. Might take just a couple more, and then we're going to do a signing ceremony.
JOURNALIST: So, if the sanctions that Australia has imposed on those two Israeli ministers don't prompt change, are you open to further sanctions against other members or Israel more broadly?
PRIME MINISTER: What we've done here is make a specific decision based upon the positions that have been put forward by these two Israeli ministers. Based upon our concerns about the expansion of settlements in the West Bank. Based upon our concerns about violence in the area being promoted, including by the actions and rhetoric of these ministers. We support a clear resolution in the Middle East. We have been outspoken about calling for, firstly, for a ceasefire, for the hostages to be released. We have made it clear we see that Hamas should have no role in the future of the region. We support Israel's right to live and to exist in secure borders. But we also support the legitimate aspirations of Palestinians. Now, sometimes, friends have to be clear with each other. We've been clear with the Israeli Government about our concerns, which we've raised continuously, both privately and through previous statements that have been made by Australia, New Zealand and Canada, in particular, with joint statements. And this statement we have made clear - that makes our position very clear about these two ministers.
JOURNALIST: Productivity Commission Chair Danielle wood has flagged tax breaks for business investment and cutting corporate tax rates as ways to boost productivity. Are those ideas you could support legislating this term after your Productivity Summit?
PRIME MINISTER: No well, Danielle Wood will put forward her position. They're her positions. I put forward the Government's positions, and we do that after proper consideration.
JOURNALIST: Prime Minister, the airport has had some controversy, and it does continue to be controversial in some suburbs, insofar as the flight plans and changes that have been put out. Have those changes and plans been fair?
PRIME MINISTER: They have been fair, and they've been the subject of enormous community consultation. More consultation because there are new flight paths for a new airport than have ever been put in place before. We want to make sure that we maximise the economic opportunity that comes from this airport while minimising any impact of aircraft noise that occurs. That is what we have put forward with these plans. Of course, every airport goes through master plans regularly that reassess those things. As the Member for Grayndler and as a Marrickville resident, I'm very conscious about these issues. But we have gone to a great deal of trouble to make sure that there is minimum disruption and minimum impact of aircraft noise. Fortunately, the runways here, heading towards the south west, affect very few people, compared with just about every other airport - certainly every other capital city airport - in Australia, including, of course, in this region. Bankstown airport is pretty busy - busier than Kingsford Smith in terms of number of flights, a fun fact for people there.
JOURNALIST: What about this then, would you be open to closing Bankstown airport and sending the traffic this way?
PRIME MINISTER: No, we need aviation activity. We need aviation activity, and the truth is that some people have opposed this airport existing. That has been, was, a campaign for a considerable period of time. Just like I spoke earlier today about the Rose Hill proposal of the New South Wales government, which I think was a good one. Any time you have infrastructure, there will be some opponents - whether it be public transport, whether it be an airport, whether it be other activities - but this is a major benefit for Western Sydney, including the more than 11,000 people who worked to construct this magnificent new airport, more than half of whom were locals here. If we talk about tourism and access here, including from Air New Zealand, what we'll see is the people coming into here, visiting the Blue Mountains, visiting all that Western Sydney has to offer, as well. Creating jobs and economic activity. This is a plus for the region. I've been a long term advocate for it, as have so many people here in Western Sydney, which is why, overwhelmingly, this airport is embraced by the people of Western Sydney because they know that it will bring enormous benefits, as well as the infrastructure that has come with this airport, with new rail lines, new roads, new businesses, new jobs being created here. Thanks very much.
