Multiplex has wrapped up major construction on the “complex and challenging” Western Sydney International Airport terminal, the cornerstone of the new city of Bradfield.
Western Sydney Airport Corporation’s four-storey terminal is designed to cater for up to 26 planes and 2000 bags an hour,
About 10 million passengers are expected to use the airport each year once it becomes operational in late 2026.
Architects Zaha Hadid and COX Architecture won the initial concept design competition in 2019 for the first major airport to be built in Sydney in more than 100 years.
The Western Sydney airport (WSI) project included what has been dubbed the “great Australian verandah” entrance to the terminal, a 208,000sq m suspended aluminum ceiling and the 3.7km runway.
Multiplex regional managing director David Ghannoum said it was a once-in-a-lifetime project.
“The completion of this highly technical build is also a significant milestone for Multiplex, as the largest project we have delivered in NSW in our 60-year-plus history,” Ghannoum said.
“Significant challenges were presented by the scale of the terminal building and the volume of conventional concrete and specialised labour required to build it.”
A concrete batch plant was built on site to produce 79,500 tonnes of concrete and minimise truck movements during the build.
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There are 8848 solar panels, 3500 tonnes of structural steel and 800 blastproof skylight panels in the new terminal.
To maintain the project’s delivery schedule, Multiplex opted to construct levels two and three of the terminal using the Slimdek 210 flooring solution—a composite steel frame developed by BlueScope Steel.
This reduced the amount of labour and concrete required and enabled the fit-out of WSI’s baggage handling system to begin several months ahead of schedule.
Multiplex also used a prefabricated service riser system within the main terminal building that allowed each core to be installed in a day.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese joined WSI’s key partners, including Qantas Group, Singapore Airlines, Menzies Aviation and dnata Catering & Retail for the unveiling of the terminal on June 11.
Western Sydney International chief executive Simon Hickey said thousands of workers had brought the airport to life and more than $500 million spent with businesses in the area.
“WSI has been the catalyst for billions in investment in the region and has helped create thousands of local jobs during construction and will bring even more opportunities across our precinct and the surrounding Bradfield City and Aerotropolis once the airport opens,” Hickey said.
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“Since the first sod was turned, nearly half our workforce has hailed from Western Sydney, with around a third learning on the job, so the region should be immensely proud of this new terminal as so many workers, businesses, manufacturers and suppliers have literally helped bring it to life.”
The fit-out of the terminal’s retail precinct and airline lounges will take place closer to the airport’s opening next year as commercial tenders and final contracts continue to progress over the months ahead.
The masterplan for the neighbouring Bradfield City Centre was approved in 2024 and will be connected to the airport by a new rail line.
Earlier this year the Federal Government committed $1 billion to buy the rail corridor to link the new line with the main line and Sydney CBD.
Meanwhile, plans for a 2ha central park have been unveiled in the city. The park is expected to open alongside the Bradfield Metro station and new airport.
