SINGAPORE: Singapore Airlines (SIA) will launch daily non-stop flights between Changi Airport and the new Western Sydney International Airport on Nov 23, subject to regulatory approvals.
In a statement on Tuesday (March 24), SIA said tickets for the new route will progressively go on sale from Wednesday (March 25).
The Singapore-Western Sydney flight will depart from Changi Airport at around 11.30am, while the return flight will leave Western Sydney International Airport for Singapore at 11.55pm Australian Eastern Standard time (9.55pm, Singapore time).
The journey each way is around 7½ to 8½ hours long.
SIA will operate its Airbus A350-900 medium-haul aircraft – featuring 303 seats across business and economy classes – for this route.
Combined with its four daily flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, SIA will be operating five daily flights to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales.
The airline also serves six other cities in Australia – Adelaide in South Australia; Brisbane and Cairns in Queensland; Darwin in Northern Territory; Melbourne in Victoria; and Perth in Western Australia.
Western Sydney International Airport, slated to open in late 2026, is located about 7km from the famed Blue Mountains and 44km from Sydney’s Central Business District.
In comparison, the Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is around 10km from the city’s CBD and 41km from Western Sydney International Airport.
Dai Haoyu, senior vice-president of marketing planning at SIA, said that the upcoming service to Australia’s newest gateway in Western Sydney will strengthen connectivity to the popular destination.
This move comes on the back of SIA’s recent increase in passenger capacity, with the swopping-out of its 264-seat Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for the 471-seat Airbus A380 planes on selected flights between Singapore and Melbourne from March 29 to Oct 24.
Besides SIA, Australian flag carrier Qantas, Australian low-cost airline Jetstar and Air New Zealand will be the first few airlines to operate from the new Western Sydney International Airport. - The Straits Times/ANN
