Blue Mountains News

The scheduled opening of the airport in late 2026, will revolutionise the economy of Western Sydney, the Blue Mountains, and the Central West with new possibilities for trade, tourism and transport. By becoming the Gateway of Choice for international visitors, the Western Sydney Airport will bring a range of business opportunities to the Lithgow LGA and deliver significant benefit to the region's visitor economy.

Lithgow Council's General Manager, Ross Gurney, was impressed by the scale of the new airport and the progress of construction, saying “the airport is on track to open in late 2026 for domestic, international and freight flights 24 hours a day. It is estimated that 5 million passengers will use the airport in its first year. This new airport presents huge opportunities for the economy of the Lithgow LGA to benefit and grow”.

Lithgow City Council continues to strongly advocate for investment in sustainable transport options linking the LGA to Western Sydney. The Council’s advocacy priorities include the development of the proposed Blackheath to Hartley tunnel, linking Western Sydney and the Central West. The prospect of a 24-hour airport in Western Sydney also opens opportunities for the development of rail infrastructure for both passenger and haulage trains into the Lithgow LGA, that could service the Airport.