This weekend, history will be made in Western Sydney.
On Sunday, the first domestic flight will take off from Western Sydney International Airport. And on Monday, the first international flight will do the same.
For the first time in more than 50 years, Australia is opening a major new airport.
It's a milestone that has been decades in the making and one that belongs to the people of Western Sydney.
For generations, Western Sydney has been a place where people come to build a better life for themselves and their families.
Now, with the opening of Western Sydney International, this will help drive the next chapter for the region.
This isn't just about a new runway or terminal. This is about jobs, investment and delivering for one of Australia's fastest-growing regions.
It has been 40 years since Prime Minister Bob Hawke had the foresight to begin setting aside land at Badgerys Creek.
And we should remember that all those years ago, there was a sod turn at this airport under the Hawke Government, where construction began.
I've championed this airport for a long time and worked across the Parliament to help turn this vision into reality.
That's why I'm so proud to officially open Western Sydney International this weekend.
The new airport is named after Australian aviation pioneer Nancy-Bird Walton, a great Australian trailblazer whose very name represents the courage and the conviction to boldly leap into the future.
It's also a remarkable achievement by the thousands of Australians who helped build it.
Construction has supported 13,000 jobs, with more than half coming from the local area.
More than $500 million has been invested in over 360 Western Sydney businesses since construction began.
That's thousands of local workers earning a wage, learning new skills and helping build something that will serve generations to come. That's something to be proud of.
And the opportunities don't end with construction.
This first new airport in 50 years means more choice for travellers, more tourism and trade, and better connections to the world.
It's also helping reshape Sydney.
Western Sydney deserves world-class infrastructure and that's what my Government is delivering.
That's why our Government is investing $18 billion in infrastructure projects across Western Sydney, including roads and rail connections to support this growing region.
Because we want people in Western Sydney to have good, secure jobs, closer to home.
This weekend, as the first passengers make their way through the terminal and the first planes take to the skies, there will be an enormous sense of pride.
For the workers who built it, the businesses that helped deliver it and the communities who waited decades to see it become reality.
A great Australian dream is taking flight.
This is a great day for Western Sydney and a great day for our nation.
This opinion piece was first published in The Daily Telegraph(link is external) on Sunday, 25 October 2026.
