A team from the Fraport Group – a German aviation company founded a century ago – has arrived at Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (WSI) to provide specialist support over the coming months to help ready the airport’s operational readiness program ahead of the opening of commercial operations in 2026.
Operational Readiness and Airport Transition (ORAT)
The program will encompass all the assets and systems that thousands of workers have spent the past six years designing, building and installing. The team will then ensure each is equipped with the right processes, training, integrations and contingencies so the airport can be as prepared as possible when it welcomes its first customers. This will include a series of live trials, during which the new 24-hour airport will stress-test all of its systems to make sure they’re fit for purpose and the teams are trained up to support airlines and passengers from day one.
2026 opening
Matt Duffy, chief operating officer of WSI, said, “There’s a buzz of excitement in the air as we progress important preparations for day one of passenger and airline operations and that’s where our colleagues from Fraport come in. Utilizing Fraport’s global services reflected the significance of WSI’s development as the first greenfield international airport Australia has seen in more than 50 years. Fraport will lend its world-leading expertise to WSI as we commence our thorough program of operational readiness to ensure we’re ready and raring to go next year.”
Alexander Larisch, project director of Fraport, highlighted, “Opening a new airport is a highly complex task and Fraport Australia (a subsidiary of the Fraport Group) was delighted to arrive Down Under to support WSI as the business transitions to airport operations. Our on-site team will work with WSI on vital operational topics such as aligning operational processes and trials to achieve readiness for their opening in 2026. We’re excited to see what we can achieve together over the coming months.”
In related news, WSI and Western Sydney University recently signed a memorandum of understanding to drive education, training and job opportunities ahead of the airport’s opening. Click here to read the full story
