The popular domestic flight up to 60% cheaper from Sydney's new airport. Sydney vs Western Sydney: prices compared, route by route. The check-in area at the new Western Sydney Airport, which will begin passenger flights on October 25. September 1, 2026 Produced by ElevenLabs and ACM using AI narration. You have access to audio on this article for a limited time Sydney's newest airport is weeks away from taking off, and early fare data reveals one popular domestic route could soon cost you up to 60 per cent less. As Western Sydney International (Nancy Bird Walton) airport prepares for its maiden passenger flights on Sunday, October 25, the big question for travellers is simple: will switching between Sydney and Western Sydney airports actually save you money? WATCH: Holiday Inn Express has unveiled their 'breakfast pillow' playing the sounds of a breakfast buffet We teamed up with Skyscanner to crunch the numbers - and some of the price gaps are dramatic. Early birds get the bargains - for now. Airlines are already discounting flights from Western Sydney airport. But it's still early days and only a handful of airlines have signed on with the airport so far. Singapore Airlines, Air New Zealand and Vietjet have all partnered with Western Sydney to provide international services, and Qantas and Jetstar have signed up to deliver domestic routes. Jetstar will run the very first flight from Western Sydney airport, departing October 25 to Gold Coast. But the new airport will likely attract more airlines in the future, and as this happens, we can expect more introductory discounts to come online. Justin Brownjohn, senior manager at RMIT Aviation Academy, says we can expect to see "a period of heavy marketing and discounting" as Western Sydney takes off. "This is seen in most multi-airport cities with new routes - even today, Avalon is priced more competitively than Tullamarine - though the catchment in Western Sydney is very different to Bellarine Peninsula," Brownjohn tells Explore. But this might not remain long-term. "In time as its connectivity grows and schedules increase, there is a very real likelihood that the two markets will price similarly on comparative routes." The verdict: where to fly to save up to 60%. Now for the flight prices. We looked at flights from Western Sydney International versus Sydney Kingsford Smith for February 2026, and the results were varied. For the overwhelming majority of routes, Western Sydney was cheaper, though the difference ranged from a few dollars to hundreds of dollars. Skyscanner data from August 19 showed the average cost of a one-way economy flight in February 2027 from the legacy Sydney airport to Singapore, flying with Singapore Airlines, was $723, compared with a slightly cheaper $720 from Western Sydney. The baggage claim area for Sydney's newest airport, in Western Sydney's Badgerys Creek. Data sourced on the same date for the same month comparing Air New Zealand flights to Auckland found it would cost $294 from Sydney or a $30-odd cheaper from Western Sydney at $263. One international route was a whole lot cheaper. If you're flying to Vietnam, you're in luck. Flying Vietjet to Ho Chi Minh City during February cost on average $439 from Sydney and $219 from Western Sydney. But the biggest percentage difference was on Australia's most popular domestic route, flying between Sydney and Melbourne. Skyscanner data accessed on August 20 for April 2027 - Qantas' first month in operation at the new airport - found Qantas flights were $326 from Sydney, compared to only $127 from Western Sydney - a whopping 60 per cent cheaper. The discount wasn't so generous to Brisbane, where Qantas prices for the same month from Sydney and Western Sydney were very similar at $138 and $127 respectively. Airlines are launching with top deals from the new Western Sydney airport. Looking at Jetstar in February, flying to Melbourne didn't offer up a very large difference in prices, which sat at $87 from Sydney and $75 from Western Sydney. One route was actually more expensive on Jetstar. Flying to Brisbane cost $81 from Sydney or $84 from Western Sydney. Canberra-bound passengers wouldn't have been up for much of a difference, with the route costing $279 from Sydney and $264 from Western Sydney. Likewise, Hobart was also much the same, coming in at $121 from Sydney and $115 from WSI. Why prices are cheap now - and why that could change. Skyscanner Australia Travel Expert, Jarrod Kris, says airfares are dynamic and can change based on factors including demand, capacity, competition and airline pricing strategies. "As Western Sydney International becomes more established and more services are added, we would expect prices across both airports to continue to move in response to these factors," Kris tells Explore. The key benefit for travellers is greater choice. The new airport will provide greater choice for travellers flying in and out of Sydney. "Having another airport serving Sydney gives travellers more options when comparing routes, airlines and fares, and that additional competition can ultimately be positive for value," Kris says. While Western Sydney has plenty of prospective passengers, RMIT's Justin Brownjohn notes that airlines are launching with light schedules to experiment and test new infrastructure. "Over time, schedules will undoubtably be increased and this improved schedule will command higher fares in the longer term," he says. Some prices might even become more expensive from Western Sydney. "Singapore Airlines will launch flights at the end of 2026 with a schedule that is currently impossible at Kingsford Smith due to the curfew - over time, I envisage this flight to potentially command a higher fare than others at Kingsford Smith as it will open new connectivity over Singapore that currently require a longer a transit time," Brownjohn says. Sarah is Explore's Digital News Editor. She believes regional travel is just as fun (if not better) than staying in the big cities and loves any travel experience to do with nature, animals and food!. My all-time favourite destination is... Cornwall. From the giant seagulls to the blustery beaches, Cornish pasties and fishing villages, it stirs something romantic and seafaring in me. Next on my bucket list is... Mongolia. I want to go somewhere really unique that feels totally foreign and challenges my way of life. My top travel tip is... Don't plan too much. Walk the streets and let it happen. And make sure you check out what's within a few blocks of your hotel - sometimes the best local food is found that way.

Former Air New Zealand CEO calls out PM's not 'cool' criticism of airline's performance. August 31, 2026 - 5:10pm Former Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe has hit out at comments Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made about the airline's performance, saying they were not "cool". Last week, Luxon, who himself was CEO of the national carrier between 2013 and 2019, blasted Air New Zealand's $336 million pre-tax loss for the 2026 financial year, calling it a "pretty poor performance". He added that the flag carrier needs to explain the loss and outline what it plans to do to "build a better business". "It's really up for them to explain what has caused that such a significant loss, but also, more importantly, what are they going to do to build a better business and a stronger performance going forward," Luxon said last Friday. "That is clearly a very poor result. It's clearly a very poor performance, even in the context of global aviation and other airlines as well," he added. Luxon's comments have not impressed Fyfe, who told the NZ Herald's Ryan Bridge on Tuesday, "I don't think it's so cool as an ex-CEO to be commenting on the current CEO or his team." "If I'm brutally honest, I suspect the engines that have been causing Air New Zealand so much grief are probably engines that... either it was Christopher or me that made the decision to buy them," Fyfe added. "I'd be the last one to be throwing any stones." Fyfe was the CEO of Air New Zealand between 2005 and 2012 and was succeeded by Luxon in the position. Responding to Fyfe's comments on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Luxon told Stuff that both the airline and the prime minister said that Air New Zealand's financial result was "poor". "Given the Government is the airline's majority shareholder, taxpayers would expect the PM to reflect this in his comments," they said. Luxon had previously praised current Air New Zealand CEO Nikhil Ravishankar as "doing a great job". Air New Zealand had projected a loss between $340m and $390 before tax due to volatile global jet fuel prices and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which delivered a" material external shock" to the airline. The result was primarily driven by four factors, the airline said in its update to the NZX last Friday: Jet fuel prices, engine availability, aviation system costs and maintenance. Ravishankar said the result reflected that it had been a "very challenging year for aviation". "Given the price sensitivity of air travel, airlines globally have not been able to recover the full increase in fuel costs. "We took quick and decisive action through fare adjustments and capacity reductions to balance affordability for customers and maximise recovery and will continue to do so," Ravishankar said. Despite the overall loss, Air New Zealand's total revenue grew 3.9% to $7 billion, supported by a 4.8% increase in passenger revenue to$6.1b. Network capacity rose 1.3% as grounded planes were brought back into service. The last time Air New Zealand recorded a loss was in 2022, driven by pandemic-related international border closures and regional lockdowns, with a $810 million loss before taxation. Paid Content