Qantas A321 freighter lands at Western Sydney International

‍Sydney — A Qantas (QF) Airbus A321 freighter has landed at Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) as a trial flight.

The cargo plane completed a readiness flight at WSI upon arriving at Sydney's new airport on July 13. This is ahead of the regular freight operations, which are set to begin later in July.

Flight QF7301 touched down at 14:00 (local time) on July 13. The flight assisted the airport in preparing key operational processes at WSI's Cargo Precinct, including aircraft handling, ground operations, systems, airside coordination, and cargo transfer procedures.

Cargo Handling Capacity

WSI will handle domestic cargo flights from July 27, with the new terminal expected to handle more than 850 tonnes of freight each week. Igor Kwiatkowski, Executive Manager of Qantas Freight, said the test flight paved the way for normal operations.

“Western Sydney International Airport is set to become one of Australia’s key air freight hubs and today’s flight was an important opportunity to test key procedures ahead of starting operations,” Kwiatkowski said.

Australia's national carrier will operate from a 24,000-square-meter freight terminal at WSI.

Preparing for Operations

Chief Executive Officer of Western Sydney International Airport, Simon Hickey, said that the trial enables WSI to test its systems ahead of commercial operations.

“Our operational readiness program and live aircraft trials present an excellent opportunity to test these capabilities,” Hickey said.

Hickey also acknowledged the coordination between the airport, Airservices Australia, and Cargo Precinct partners in delivering the trial program.

“We’ve utilized the latest technology and innovations to deliver a highly efficient, sustainable, and future-proofed 24-hour Cargo Precinct,” Hickey said.

“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,” Kwiatkowski said.

Passenger Services

Today's test flight comes ahead of the launch of passenger services at WSI later this year.

Jetstar (JQ) will operate the first commercial passenger flight from WSI on October 25.

Qantas is set to begin operations at WSI next year. It will offer passenger flights from WSI from March 28, 2027.