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The first plane has taken off and landed at what will be Australia’s next international airport.
A test pilot hit the milestone in a Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche aircraft at Western Sydney International Airport after completing a series of landing and take-off runs during daylight, dusk and evening conditions on Wednesday.
The trial comes ahead of the introduction of larger passenger planes which are scheduled to begin using the runway from late 2026.
Airport chief executive Simon Hickey said the runway’s inaugural use was a major milestone for the project’s construction.
“This week’s flight tests are an important commissioning requirement stipulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to help ensure our runway lighting infrastructure is fit for operations,” Mr Hickey said.
He also noted its rapid exit taxiways have been built at a 45-degree angle in a bid to allow aircraft to exit and enter the runway at faster speeds.
The airport will open with one runway and will be able to cater for up to 10 million passengers a year from day one of operations.
About 3000 aeronautical ground lights have been installed on the tarmac to guarantee runway operations in low visibility.
Officials hope the airport’s average taxiing time will be around five minutes, which is significantly shorter compared to other airports around the world.
The base layer of the 3.7km main landing strip includes 5.5 million tonnes of quality sandstone diverted from landfill from Sydney-based tunnelling projects.
Holly Hales
(Australian Associated Press)