Cargo planes have begun to try out Australia’s first new international airport in 50 years.

As Sydney’s second international airport prepares to open to cargo traffic later this month, the first freighter has touched down at the Western Sydney International Airport Cargo Precinct.

This was the first of a series of trial flights which are being undertaken in preparation for the airport’s opening to cargo traffic on July 26.

Set to open to open to passengers later this year, the Western Sydney International (Nancy Walden Bird) Airport will be Australia’s first newly built greenfield international airport for more than 50 years.

It will take pressure off the existing Sydney Airport, which is already under strain regarding its capacity.

Unlike the existing airport, the new airport will be able to operate 24/7.

The airport will be surrounded by the 11,200 hectare Western Sydney Aerotropolis, which will be home to tens of thousands or residents and aims to generate around 200,000 skilled employment opportunities in sectors such as aerospace, advanced manufacturing, research and defence, technology, education warehousing/industrial and agribusiness.

At its launch, the airport will have capacity to handle up to 10 million passengers each year.

This is expected to increase by 82 million by 2060 – something that will be enabled by a design which is scalable and allows for capacity expansion over time.

Meanwhile, the cargo facility will have an initial capacity of 220,0000 tonnes of freight annually and will boost Sydney’s air cargo capacity by 33 percent upon its opening.

As with the broader airport, it has a scalable design and will have long term expandable capacity of up to 1.8 million tonnes.

Supported by $805 million in infrastructure investment, the cargo precinct will offer up to 75,000 sqm in warehousing space.

It will be able to service eight wide-body aircraft simultaneously.

According to the airport, a key advantage of the new facility lies in its location at the heart of a major logistics corridor.

Dedicated heavy-vehicle access is provided through an upgraded Northern Road. This will separate the flow of cargo from passenger traffic.

This will then connect directly to the M12, M4 and M5 motorways, from where freight can move efficiently across Greater Sydney and beyond.

Another advantage is its aforementioned ability to operate non-stop on a 24/7 basis.

This is different to Sydney Airport, which is subject to night curfews.

The trial flights commenced on Monday, as a Qantas A321 freighter was the first to touch down.

Upon its opening, Qantas planes will be joined by those from other cargo precinct partners including Menzies Aviation, dnata Cargo and Texas Air.

WSI CEO Simon Hickey said that the trial flights marked the final stages of the airport’s operational readiness program as it prepares for opening to cargo traffic.

“Today we’ll welcome a Qantas A321 freighter to WSI as we continue to ramp up operational preparations and really bring this airport to life,” he said.

“These trials are an integral part of ensuring that our systems, infrastructure and staff have been put through their paces in a live and controlled operating environment. Today’s flight will be followed by further trials over the following fortnight as we make our final preparations for commercial freight services.”

Upon opening on 26 July, Qantas Freight will be joined by other top-tier partners at WSI’s Cargo Precinct including Menzies Aviation, dnata Cargo and Texel Air.

Hickey said WSI and its top-tier cargo hub has the benefit of being Australia’s first greenfield international airport in more than 50 years.

“We’ve utilised the latest technology and innovations to deliver a highly efficient, sustainable, and future-proofed Cargo Precinct. Our trials present an excellent opportunity to test these capabilities,” he said.

“I also want to acknowledge the huge amount of cooperation and coordination across WSI, together with our colleagues at Air Services Australia and our trusted Cargo Precinct partners to deliver this trial program. We look forward to welcoming our first commercial services later this month.”

The cargo area’s master plan was designed by Architectus.

The civil construction of Stage 1 Cargo Works was built by a joint venture between CPB Contractors and ACCOINA.

Qantas Freight Executive Manager Igor Kwiatkowski said Western Sydney International Airport is set to become one of Australia’s key air freight hubs.

He said that the flight is an important opportunity to test key procedures ahead of starting operations.

“In just a few weeks, this new 24-hour facility will provide greater flexibility for our freight network, helping us meet growing demand for e-commerce and next-day deliveries,” he said.

“The airport will increase Sydney’s air cargo capacity helping us to move time-critical supplies around Australia and overseas in the months ahead.”

The airport is set to open to for cargo on July 26 and to open for passengers in October.

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