Singapore Airlines launches Western Sydney Airport flights

Singapore Airlines will begin flying from the new Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) on 23 November, with a daily flight complementing the current four flights from the city’s primary Sydney Airport gateway.

The timetable sees a near-midnight departure from WSI, taking advantage of the airport’s 24-hour curfew-free operation to dovetail into the Singaporean flag-carrier’s extensive global network, with an especially strong focus on Asia.

• SQ202 will depart WSI at 11:55pm, arriving in Singapore at 5:05am the following day
• SQ201 leaves Singapore Changi Airport at 11:30am to reach WSI at 10:20pm

Tickets are due to go on sale on Wednesday 25 March, starting at around $900 for an economy return fare to Singapore, and $4350 for business class. 

Singapore Airlines will rely on its popular Airbus A350 for daily SIN-WSI flights.

Plying the route will be a modern Airbus A350-900 jet, although one kitted out with what Singapore Airlines calls its ‘medium-haul’ business class seats.

Although generally well-appointed, many travellers find the 20"-wide seat makes for a tight fit, as does the cubby into which they slide their feet when the seat folds down into a fully lie-flat bed.

There are 40 seats in business class and 263 in economy; however, this version of SQ’s A350 lacks the popular premium economy cabin.

While WSI is expected to offer a ‘premium lounge’ for SQ’s business class passengers and Gold-tier frequent flyers, this is most likely to be from an independent lounge operator rather than the airline itself.

More flights, more flexibility

The early morning arrival into Singapore will make it easier for passengers to connect to over 130 destinations across the Singapore Airlines network, with some of the most efficient being London, Tokyo, India, and most major cities in southeast Asia.

In fact, 22 cities across Asia will now be available as morning arrivals after a smoothly efficient Changi Airport stopover.

Singapore Airlines will host Western Sydney Airport's first overseas flights.

WSI chief Simon Hickey says the airport’s “24-hour capacity, coupled with Singapore Airlines’ extensive global connectivity, will open our city to the world in new and exciting ways,” with travellers enjoying “more choice and flexibility on when, where, and how they choose to fly.”

Hickey has been busily courting international airlines to bulk up the departure board at WSI, which boasts a catchment area of some three million people who live within one hour’s travel of the airport.

“This makes us the third largest catchment area in Australia,” Hickey told Executive Traveller last year.

“You’ve got Sydney, then Melbourne, and then Western Sydney,” which he also cites as “the third largest economy in Australia... and one of the fastest-growing populations in Australia, a younger population with lots of businesses, a really ambitious population who are great travellers.”

Each of the A350's 40 business class seats converts into a fully lie-flat bed.

Qantas, Jetstar and Air New Zealand also plan to fly from WSI, but have not yet confirmed start dates or routes.

Auckland is of course an obvious starter for the Kiwi carrier.

Qantas Group CEO Vanessa Hudson has previously remarked “I expect you will see triangle operations” from Western Sydney to Melbourne and Brisbane, and Jetstar could follow suit while adding popular leisure destinations such as the Gold Coast.

WSI’s curfew-free status could also have strong appeal to Gulf carriers such as Emirates and Qatar Airways, which often find a very late-night or early morning departure fits well into their morning wave of connections from their Middle Eastern hubs onto Europe and the UK.

Other airlines which have been suggested as likely WSI candidates include Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Cebu Pacific.