Overnight flight shake-up for Sydney Airport as cargo planes go west

Sydney Airport’s overnight curfew permissions will be cut once Western Sydney Airport (Badgerys Creek) becomes fully operational, affecting both freight and some passenger movements. From November 1, up to 74 weekly freight flights currently allowed to land at Kingsford Smith during the 11pm to 6am curfew will be redirected to Badgerys Creek, with Qantas expected to launch the first commercial cargo flight from Western Sydney Airport on Monday. Residents near the new airport in Sydney’s west have raised concerns that cargo planes would shift flight paths over housing early in the morning. Qantas, Singapore Airlines and British Airways also use a 5am–6am “shoulder period” exemption to land, though federal guidance says the new nighttime gazettal would change approval criteria for international flights without directly stopping them. Transport officials said flight paths will be monitored as operations begin.