Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) has marked another major milestone with the arrival of its first jet aircraft.
The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) N138CG “Marie Bashir” large air tanker landed on the runway shortly after 8.30am on Wednesday, following a short flight from nearby RAAF base Richmond to take part in a large-scale multi-agency emergency exercise at the airfield.
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The emergency scenario, which runs through Thursday and will include simulations of a plane in distress, is an important step in WSI’s preparation to open its passenger services next year.
“It’s really important that we understand how Western Sydney International Airport is actually going to operate, and how we are going to operate together when there is a situation that requires it,” WSI chief executive Simon Hickey told media at the airport on Wednesday morning.
“We have over 300 people who have been working here today on an emergency exercise, over 50 emergency vehicles.
“We have our first firefighting team here, ready for the exercise, and we have volunteers from the community, so everyone works together to really bring the airport together and understand how we work in an emergency situation.”
Airport operational staff, along with 300 volunteers and emergency services partners from the RFS, NSW Police Force and NSW Fire and Rescue, plus federal agencies including the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force and Airservices Australia, will take part in the exercise.
Speaking to reporters, Federal Transport Minister Catherine King congratulated WSI and the participating agencies, calling the airport “a great investment in the future of western Sydney and the economy of this region”.
“We are getting closer to opening the airport in late 2026 for passenger services, and for the airport to be certified, we have to make sure everything is ready to go,” he said.
“That’s really what today is about, providing the opportunity to test our emergency response with an emergency scenario throughout the day, but also, as we saw last week, the flight routes that are being tested and the baggage services that are being tested.
“This has been a very important project for the community here. We’ve already had over 12,000 people working on construction, we know work is already starting here at the airport, and this is just a fantastic day.”
WSI saw its first “official” aircraft land late last year, and in October 2024 a light aircraft performed test flights for the airfield’s ground lighting system.
The Piper PA-30 twin-engine Comanche The aircraft, VH-8MN, was tasked with taking off and landing at both ends of the runway during the day, dusk and night to ensure the airport’s 3,000 aeronautical ground lights were fit for purpose ahead of opening in 2026.
WSI also saw flight path testing conducted by a twin-engine Cessna Conquest this month prior to the exercise.
