Western Sydney International Airport’s first commercial passenger flight has taken off, with a Jetstar service carrying 188 passengers to the Gold Coast on Sunday morning.
Flight JQ362 departed at 11.22am aboard an Airbus A320, after aviation enthusiasts secured every seat on the inaugural service within 45 minutes of its release.
The flight was reported to be the most tracked in the world, while crowds gathered along the runways at both Western Sydney International and Coolangatta to mark the occasion.
Among those on board was young Jetstar fan Ethan Leslie, who was given the honour of making the aircraft’s public address announcement before departure. The service left 22 minutes behind schedule.
Some passengers had arranged elaborate itineraries to take part in the airport’s opening milestone. Damien Clarke said he would fly to the Gold Coast, return to Western Sydney, travel to Melbourne later that day and take part in the inaugural flight to Auckland the following morning.
Jetstar flight JQ363 later returned from the Gold Coast, becoming the first passenger service to arrive at Western Sydney International.
The outbound flight was piloted by Captain Guy Proctor and First Officer Aglaya Papadokokolakis, who is from Blacktown and comes from a family of aviators.
“I’m also from Western Sydney, so to have the opportunity to fly out of an airport in my backyard is an amazing opportunity and a very special day,” she said.
The aircraft flew west before banking towards the coast over Tamworth, crossing the state and landing just north of the border on time.
Jetstar is due to operate 24 return services each week from the new airport. A flight to Melbourne was scheduled for Sunday evening, while international services were due to begin on Monday with an Air New Zealand flight arriving from Auckland. Singapore services are scheduled to start in late November.
