Western Sydney (Nancy-Bird Walton) International Airport Well Underway

In industry news, Acciona and CPB‘s works on the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport are well underway with reports that 75% of the bulk earthworks have now been completed. Runways, taxiways and the start of the terminal are all starting to take shape.

Over 20 million cubic meters of earth have been shifted with hand-over of this stage due to be executed in the coming months. The airport expected to have it’s first passengers (international, domestic and air cargo flights) departing the tarmac in 2026.

 

 

The airport is hoped to reignite the region with approximately 28,000 new jobs and business opportunities while meeting the growing aviation demand in Sydney.

The Nancy-Bird Walton airport is Australia’s first ever Smart Airport taking advantage of technological advances to provide airlines and passengers with a seamless experience. This includes rail services with 6 stations connecting to the existing train line at St Mary’s in turn connecting with Sydney’s current metro system. It also features upgraded roads and toll-free M12 connection, all available from day 1.

 

Read on to learn more about how the Western Sydney airport got it’s name…

 

The exciting engineering and construction side of this project aside, you might be interested in getting to know the “Nancy-Bird” behind the name “Nancy-Bird Walton Airport”.

Nancy-Bird wanted to fly almost as soon as she could walk, and by 19 years of age she had a commercial pilot’s licence and bought her first aircraft.

In 1935, she was hired to operate a rural air medical service in NSW which meant landing in paddocks and on unsealed roads. Nancy went on to marry an Englishman, Charles Walton, and had two children. He preferred to call her “Nancy-Bird” rather than “Nancy”, and hence she was generally known as “Nancy-Bird Walton”.

In 1958, she returned to flying after a 20 year hiatus and as a result of her charity work, she was given an OBE in 1966 along with an AO in 1990.

She was the inspiration for generations of female pilots. She never had an accident, despite the risks of early aviation and the first Qantas Airbus A380 was named in her honour.

The National Trust of Australia declared her an Australian Living Treasure in ‘97.

Nancy-Bird died aged 93 in 2009 and now her name will live on in the Western Sydney “Nancy-Bird Walton” International Airport – Both exemplary Aussie icons.

 

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