A Qantas Airbus A321P2F has become the first cargo aircraft to land at the new Western Sydney International Airport, marking another important step in preparations for the launch of regular operations at Sydney’s second major airport.

The aircraft, operating flight QF7301, landed at 14:00 local time on July 13 at the airport officially known as Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport. The trial flight formed part of the final operational readiness program ahead of the opening of the cargo precinct and the launch of regular Qantas Freight services.

The arrival was used to test aircraft handling, ground operations, airport systems, airside coordination and cargo transfer procedures between the aircraft and the new freight terminal. Such trial flights allow potential shortcomings to be identified before commercial operations begin, when all processes will need to be completed within significantly tighter timeframes.

An Airbus A330 had initially been scheduled to operate the flight to Western Sydney, but a smaller Airbus A321F was used following operational changes related to adverse weather conditions in the Shanghai area. The landing was also delayed by a technical issue affecting the replacement aircraft, although the flight was ultimately completed successfully.

The airport’s cargo precinct is scheduled to officially open on July 26, while the first regular Qantas Freight service is planned for the evening of July 27. Qantas will operate from its own terminal covering approximately 24,000 square metres, which is expected to handle more than 850 tonnes of freight per week during the initial phase.

The new airport will operate without a night-time curfew, an especially important advantage for cargo traffic. A significant share of domestic freight in Australia is transported overnight, enabling goods, mail and online orders to reach their destinations the following day. Qantas Freight is therefore expected to gradually transfer part of its existing overnight operations from Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport to Western Sydney.

Qantas says the 24-hour facility will provide greater flexibility across its freight network, particularly for e-commerce and next-day delivery services. The new terminal has been designed to enable faster transfers between aircraft and road transport while reducing the amount of time cargo remains within the airport system.

Menzies Aviation, dnata Cargo and Texel Air will also operate within the cargo precinct. Around 90% of the available space has already been leased, while the wider complex covers approximately 75,000 square metres and includes eight aircraft stands capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft.

Western Sydney International was built to increase overall aviation capacity across the greater Sydney area and reduce pressure on the existing Kingsford Smith Airport, which faces restrictions on the development of overnight cargo traffic due to its curfew between 23:00 and 06:00.

During its initial phase, the new airport is expected to process around 220,000 tonnes of cargo annually, with the potential for long-term capacity growth to approximately two million tonnes.

Passenger operations will begin after the launch of cargo services. The first commercial passenger flight from Western Sydney will be Jetstar flight JQ362 to Gold Coast, scheduled for October 25, 2026. Jetstar will also operate services to Melbourne and Brisbane using Airbus A320 aircraft.

Qantas passenger services are due to begin on March 28, 2027, when QantasLink introduces four weekly flights to both Melbourne and Brisbane. These routes will be operated with Embraer E190 aircraft.

The arrival of the Qantas A321F therefore represents the first tangible step towards the phased opening of Australia’s newest major airport. Western Sydney will initially take over part of the region’s cargo operations, followed three months later by passenger services, giving Sydney a second major airport for regular domestic, international and freight traffic.