It seems like there simply aren’t enough airports left that deserve to be brought into flight simulation. Why else would Drzewiecki Design choose to recreate the still-under-construction Western Sydney International Airport for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024? The answer is as simple as it is straightforward: because DD could do it (with the help of local supporters). The result is a nearly finished virtual airport just waiting for its real-world opening, which is scheduled for late 2026.
Let’s take a look at what we already know:
Reality
In April 2014, plans began to develop a second airport for the Greater Sydney area. As so often happens, the reason was—and still is—that Sydney Airport (https://www.sydneyairport.com.au) at Botany Bay can’t be expanded due to the dense surrounding urban development. Starting in 2014, concerns arose that Sydney Airport would soon reach full capacity due to the night flight curfew, which ran from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time. These worries proved true: by 2024, the operator, Sydney Airport Corporation, had reported transporting 41,400,000 passengers and handling 444,419 tons of air freight with 295,767 aircraft movements. There isn’t much room for growth left…
Eventually, it was decided to build a second airport (https://wsiairport.com.au), which has already received the IATA and ICAO codes WSI and YSWS. This new airport is being constructed about 45 kilometers west of Sydney, at the eastern edge of Blue Mountain National Park in the Australian state of New South Wales. It will operate without restrictions—24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year (24/7/365).
Construction began on September 24, 2018. The airport’s initial opening will feature a (partial) terminal with 90,000 square meters of space, 13 multipurpose parking positions with 14 jetways, a cargo area, runway 05/23 measuring 3,800 by 60 meters, 11,500 parking spaces, and a connection to the regional rail system. The final planned expansion includes another parallel runway for simultaneous operations and two full terminals.
Western Sydney International Airport will be the first in Australia without a conventional control tower, instead featuring a “Remote Tower.” The control center operated by AirService Australia is being built about 20 kilometers east of the new airport. The airport is named after Nancy Bird Walton (born October 16, 1915 – died January 13, 2009). In 1930, she became the youngest woman in Australia to obtain a pilot’s license. She bought a de Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth, which she used for reconnaissance and supply flights and carried out medical transport flights—earning her the nickname “Angel of the Outback.” She also founded the Australian Women Pilots’ Association and won the 1936 Adelaide–Brisbane air race, taking home the “Lady’s Trophy.”
Western Sydney International Airport will be part of the “Western Sydney Aerotropolis,” an area designated for aviation and related businesses, with appropriate utilities, road infrastructure, and sufficient housing for employees.
The airport will be connected to the regional transport infrastructure via the M12 motorway and a Sydney Metro rail line. The metro line will have an underground station at the airport and another stop to the south in the Aerotropolis area. Judging by recent Google Earth satellite images, construction is in full swing and is scheduled to also finish in 2026, though a delay to 2027 is possible. Buses are planned to connect the airport with the towns of Penrith, Liverpool, and Campbelltown.
Information
Airport:
Western Sydney Aerotropolis:
- https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plans-for-your-area/priority-growth-areas-and-precincts/western-sydney-aerotropolis
- https://www.planning.nsw.gov.au/plans-for-your-area/priority-growth-areas-and-precincts/western-sydney-aerotropolis/western-sydney-aerotropolis-explained
Aerotropolis:
Nancy-Bird Walton:
Simulation
DD released the airport in late June 2025. The download is 1.21 GB, and after installation, it takes up 3.43 GB of storage on your drive.
What you see is the planned 2026 expansion, showing nearly complete airside and landside areas—even though the construction sites are still clearly visible. Sydney Metro trains are already virtually animated.
Because there’s still no official information about instrument landing systems or possible radio beacons and their frequencies—and thus no navigation charts—these could not be included in the current version: DD promised FS Reviews to release updates as more construction progress and photos provided by local supporters become available.
What’s done so far is detailed, unsurprisingly well-made and lit—and up to DD’s usual high standard. The terminal is furnished based on public sources, and the glass jetways are animated. Unfortunately, there’s no AI traffic yet.
Conclusion
It doesn’t exist… or does it? Well, it does exist, it’s just not operational yet. It’s a bold decision by DD to bring an unfinished airport to the market. Hopefully, this simulated construction site manages to attract interest and buyers—especially Down Under!
Bert Groner
July 2025
If you’d like to support: paypal.me/BertGroner
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