Qantas has welcomed the Australian Government’s announcement that a second major airport for Sydney will be constructed at Badgerys Creek.

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the second airport was a vital piece of economic infrastructure for Australia – and Badgerys Creek was clearly the right site.

“Qantas has long supported the building of a second airport at Badgerys Creek, as have a number of detailed studies. After decades of debate, we applaud today’s announcement by the Prime Minister,” said Mr Joyce.

“The role of second airports has been well-established in several of the world’s major capitals. Sydney is the key gateway for air traffic in-and-out of Australia and the benefits of having two major airports will be felt nationwide.

“Airports are key pieces of infrastructure that facilitate a huge amount of economic activity, and they take a lot of time to plan and build. We look forward to being part of this process as Badgerys Creek moves closer to reality,” added Mr Joyce.

A comprehensive Federal-NSW study released in 2012 confirmed that a second airport would be needed by 2030 – and effectively ruled out any location other than Badgerys Creek.

Mr Joyce said the Qantas Group will continue to work closely with Sydney Airport to maximise the use of this key asset, including through the rollout of its recently approved Master Plan 2033.