FlixBus to begin new three hour service to new airport.
Updated October 23 2026 - 11:33am, first published 11:30am
Canberra Airport is planning to strengthen its connections to other airports, and so to the world, as passenger flights from the new Western Sydney International Airport start on Sunday.
The assertion came after one airline had already ditched Canberra for the newcomer.
Fiji Airways moved its Canberra flights to the Sydney newcomer. Pictures by Karleen Minney, Keegan Carroll, Shutterstock, supplied
"We will continue working closely with airline partners to strengthen domestic and international connectivity and pursue opportunities that support our region's long-term growth," Canberra Airport's Head of Aviation, Michael Thomson, said.
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He said that Canberra and Western Sydney "serve distinct markets".
"Canberra Airport is the gateway to the ACT and surrounding region, serving a strong government, business, diplomatic and leisure travel base. Our focus remains on providing convenient connections that meet the needs of our local community and broader region."
But the new airport has already dented Canberra's plans.
Canberra Airport executives hoped that Fiji Airways' departure wasn't the start of a trend, with other airlines also opting for Western Sydney. In the airport's favour was the reasoning behind the switch: the airline's chief executive, Paul Scurrah, said one factor was that Western Sydney was "home to one of the largest Fijian communities outside Fiji".
Canberra Airport executives said that this new service would not mean the end of the promised Qatar service from Canberra which is due to start on December 9.
But there is already broader competition on offer for passengers from Canberra and the wider region in that new bus services to Western Sydney International (WSI) have been announced by FlixBus.
From this coming Sunday, the company said it was "excited" to offer the new route: "The line starts in Parramatta, stops at WSI and Goulburn, and runs to Canberra, with two departures each way, seven days a week.
"It bypasses the Sydney CBD, giving travellers a direct transportation option between the new airport and the capital."
The company said that "introductory fares" to Canberra from the new airport would be $29.99 and $32.99 for Canberra to Parramatta.
"Departures from Canberra's Jolimont Tourist Centre will run at 6.00am and 4.45pm, arriving at WSI Airport approximately three hours later," the company said.
Murrays Coaches said: "We have not announced any services at this stage."
Canberra Airport has gained some routes recently.
Earlier in the year, Virgin Australia started its new service from Canberra direct to Bali in Indonesia. The airline offered three return services a week, leaving Canberra in the afternoon and returning overnight.
The airport also announced a tentative agreement with a big group of Chinese airports, with a view to operating direct flights to Nanjing, 300 kilometres up the Yangtze river from China's business capital, Shanghai.
The comings and goings mean that Canberra Airport will have the same number of direct international destinations as it had before COVID.
In 2018, there were seven destinations within Australia and two international destinations, according to the airport.
There are currently 11 domestic destinations and three international ones (Bali and, from December, Qatar's hub in Doha, but with Fiji's departure in the new year).
The number of passengers going through Canberra Airport was recently just short of the three million it was before the pandemic.
Steve Evans is a reporter on The Canberra Times. He's been a BBC correspondent in New York, London, Berlin and Seoul and the sole reporter/photographer/paper deliverer on The Glen Innes Examiner in country New South Wales. "All the jobs have been fascinating - and so it continues."