Trial Jetstar passenger flight handled at Western Sydney
Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) has ramped up its readiness effors for its first commercial passenger flight by welcoming a trial Jetstar flight.
The A320 flight, alongside hundreds of trial passengers, comes as its October 25 opening date for commercial passenger services draws ever closer.
The passenger trials involve members of the public participating as volunteers, helping WSI and its partners to trial all stages of the terminal customer journey and associated services, systems, and staff, as well as providing valuable feedback that can help enhance the overall airport experience.
WSI’s chief operating offficer, Matt Duffy, said this exciting final phase of WSI’s operational preparations had been underway since August and involved hundreds of trial participants taking part each week.
“By October, we anticipate that thousands of participants will have engaged in our trial program – each one of them playing an important role in stress-testing our systems, processes and people. We’re aiming to make these various elements to be as ‘fail safe’ as they can be,” he said.
“This is also about giving us as much experience as possible in navigating the inherently dynamic nature of round-the-clock airport operations. It’s a unique and positive opportunity we’re able to leverage as Australia’s first major international greenfield airport in more than 50 years.
“The interest from volunteers within the community for the trials was overwhelming – thousands of trial slots were filled within days. We’re very grateful for the enthusiasm and support from the participants who are taking part each week in the lead up to our passenger services taking off in October.”
Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King, said today’s trial flight was an important test to ensure that Western Sydney’s International Airport is ready to go on day one.
“We’ve had a firefighting tanker and hundreds of freight flights take off and land at Western Sydney International,” Minister King said. “Now for the first time, a Jetstar passenger plane has come into land at the new airport.”
“The airline and airport crews have tested systems like aerobridges, refuelling, baggage services and more, 54 days ahead of Jetstar’s inaugural flight to the Gold Coast.”
Trial participants simulate both domestic and international arrivals and departures as part of WSI’s ongoing programme.
They use self-check in and bag drop facilities, and WSI’s modern security screening which includes extra-long lanes, additional body scanners, and central image processing to review multiple trays at a time and facilitate efficient processing.
Officers from the Australian Border Force (ABF) and Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishers (DAFF) also take part in the trials, facilitating their integral role in the international arrivals process and border security.
The 24-hour global gateway is Australia’s first major international greenfield airport development in more than 50 years.
