Western Sydney Airport

jamesdeluxe

jamesdeluxe

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Something for @Sbooker to chew on, Western Sydney Airport (WSI):
simpleflying.com

The $14 Billion Airport Being Built In The Middle Of Nowhere & Why Every Major Airline Wants In

Australia’s new $14 billion Western Sydney Airport is transforming global airline strategy with 24/7 operations and massive long-term expansion plans.
simpleflying.com simpleflying.com

It's mentioned in the same breath as Montreal-Mirabel airport, which sounded OK on paper but ended up as a notorious failure. Interesting about the 24-hour operations that aren't possible at SYD.
 
SYD is one of my least favored airports for transfers. They make you reclaim baggage and schelp it from the international to the domestic terminal. We have done this twice, in 2019 and 2023. My guess is that this problem will be corrected at WSI.

Montreal Mirabel airport was opened during the same timeframe that Quebec was shooting itself in the foot and driving international business to Toronto. By contrast I presume travel both to and from Australia is on a steady uptrend. And Sydney isn't Montreal; it's the clear cut NYC of Australia. The curfew issue sounds persuasive too. Burbank airport, 10 minutes from my house, has a 10PM-7AM curfew. I don't know whether that contributes to my using it so infrequently. But flights anywhere except along the West Coast are consistently more expensive from BUR than from LAX.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
It's mentioned in the same breath as Montreal-Mirabel airport, which sounded OK on paper but ended up as a notorious failure.
Click to expand...

Washington Dulles Airport helped Northern Virginia evolve into the successful economic (semi-tech) sprawl that it's become. I doubt I would have gone to many tech meetings in Herndon, VA, or Vienna/Tysons Corner, VA, unless it was for Dulles. Assume Sydney will see the same development.

However, Dulles took 60 years to be served by public transportation. :oops: :);) Like the link that was never built for Montreal?
Yes, the Washington Metro connects directly to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) via the Silver Line. The extension opened on November 15, 2022, providing a direct rail link between the airport and downtown Washington, D.C.

Alternatively, National is perhaps the best-integrated major US airport into a transportation network.

The new Sydney airport is opening its metro line with the airport! Bravo!


Istanbul, Turkey's new airport (2019) was built in the boondocks NW of the city. In 2024, the new Metro Line opened, and I used public transportation to get to downtown Istanbul (old city). I left ski stuff at the airport (luggage storage at the entrance to the airport/metro station). The train link is a breeze; it took me 30-45 min in rush hour (vs 1-2 hours in traffic in Uber/Taxi), and it cost me a little more than $1 USD. My airport round-trip to a free 2-night hotel was $4.

Again, another plug for Turkish Airways (free hotel (1-2 nights) for intercontinental travelers, it's NOT the UAE/Qatar (no war or bombs), Istanbul is easily one of Europe's or Asia's Top 10 cities (Dubai is a shopping mall like Vegas), 2 FREE checked bags including skis, and big seats/pitch) If James were traveling Turkish Airways, he could have skis-boots as one bag, and then another checked bag, so 3 checked items - plus carry-on.
 
jamesdeluxe said:
Something for @Sbooker to chew on, Western Sydney Airport (WSI):
simpleflying.com

The $14 Billion Airport Being Built In The Middle Of Nowhere & Why Every Major Airline Wants In

Australia’s new $14 billion Western Sydney Airport is transforming global airline strategy with 24/7 operations and massive long-term expansion plans.
simpleflying.com simpleflying.com

It's mentioned in the same breath as Montreal-Mirabel airport, which sounded OK on paper but ended up as a notorious failure. Interesting about the 24-hour operations that aren't possible at SYD.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I was aware of the project but didn’t know any details. I doubt it will have any direct bearing on my travel plans or everyday life.
 
Sbooker said:
I’m from Brisbane. We never fly out of or through Sydney.
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We had to go through Sydney to get to Broome in 2023. I would guess that fewer international destinations have direct flights to Brisbane vs. Sydney but probably the connections in the foreign countries make more sense than backtracking to Sydney. It's sort of like how our Alps trips from LAX are never nonstops.
 
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Tony Crocker said:
SYD is one of my least favored airports for transfers. They make you reclaim baggage and schelp it from the international to the domestic terminal. We have done this twice, in 2019 and 2023. My guess is that this problem will be corrected at WSI.
Click to expand...
And I'm not going to mentioned that severely damaged and ripped skibag that Qantas refuse to take any responsibility for it in 2022. I had to buy a new ski bag in Australia.
Tony Crocker said:
Montreal Mirabel airport was opened during the same timeframe that Quebec was shooting itself in the foot and driving international business to Toronto. By contrast I presume travel both to and from Australia is on a steady uptrend. And Sydney isn't Montreal; it's the clear cut NYC of Australia. The curfew issue sounds persuasive too.
Click to expand...
That was one, but not the major issues. Mirabel was suppose to be the Montreal airport, period, as Dorval had curfews and had limited space to expand. People complained that it was too far, similar to many newer airports like Lyon (France), etc. In Montreal's case, the fact that people preferred using Dorval and the absence of the promise construction airport rail shuttle didn't make it easy. Maybe it was a compromise, but they decided to keep the Canada/US flights in Dorval and have Mirabel focused on international and cheap charter flights. So if you were flying to Canada from Europe, but your finally destination required another flight. you were screwed. Montreal couldn't keep two major airports. With Mirabel closed to commercial travel, the Montreal Airport authorities had to spend a fortune to expand and modernized Dorval.
Toronto in 2026: I've searched many times for flights and I've noticed a few times proposed transferred flights at 2 different airports: example Ottawa to Toronto's Billy Bishop Airport on Toronto islands to second flight being from Pearson to Calgary or Vanacouver. That transfer would be a major pita.
 
Patrick said:
People complained that it was too far, similar to many newer airports like Lyon (France), etc.
Click to expand...
Mirabel is 27 miles from the Island of Montreal.

A similar situation that I lived through while on Colorado's Front Range in the 80s was Denver International Airport, which is 19 miles beyond the previous airport within the city limits: Stapleton (Denver's Dorval). People back then complained long and hard about the additional distance, claiming that it was like driving to Nebraska to catch a plane; however, in contrast to Montreal they moved all flights to DIA and closed Stapleton.
Interesting to note that similar to Mirabel, there was no commuter train in Denver for a long time. It took more than 20 years for one to connect the airport with Denver.

Google says that Mirabel has been successfully repurposed away from its original raison d'être as a major commercial passenger airport. Key operations today are:
  • Aircraft Manufacturing: Mirabel is the major final assembly site for the Airbus A220.
  • Cargo Hub: It serves as a vital Canadian cargo port for international shipping companies, accommodating all-cargo aircraft and acting as an aero-logistics hub.
  • General & Charter Aviation: The airport supports medevac flights, flight schools (like Cargair), and limited, small-scale charter services.
  • Non-Aviation Uses: Part of the old aircraft apron has been repurposed as a race car track for local auto events.
 
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