Western Sydney International Airport (WSI) served up their next critical milestone this week, announcing dnata Catering and Retail as their new inflight caterer.
dnata is Australia’s leading inflight meal provider and is investing $17 million to build an advanced catering centre within WSI’s cargo precinct, inclusive of a ground support vehicle fleet.
dnata’s Chief Commercial Officer Mark Stubbings said their highly trained team and advanced facility will help WSI establish itself as a premium international aviation hub.
“Not only does dnata get to be part of one of Australia’s leading infrastructure projects, but we get to play a role in driving economic growth, attracting new carriers and international airlines, and bolstering new tourism routes for western Sydney,” Stubbings said.
There are three key elements to the partnership: dnata’s investment, innovation with the latest sustainable technology, and local job generation.
“We have a 3,000 square-metre facility which will incorporate the latest technologies in design and operation to minimise our environmental footprint, including energy efficient equipment, a recycled water system, and a waste treatment plant,” Stubbings explained.
“As the airport and our customer-base grows, we will continue to expand the size of our facility.”
The company will also engage with local producers for ingredients.
“Our innovative retail and catering services will harness local produce for domestic and international airlines and their passengers,” Stubbings stated.
“As part of our ‘Paddock to Plane’ philosophy, dnata is already building a strong ecosystem of local New South Wales suppliers to ensure we support our local operations and deliver high-quality meals.”
It’s expected the partnership will create over 200 new jobs over 10 years.
“We will begin recruitment in early 2026 across a wide range of roles, including chefs, drivers, and catering attendants,” Stubbings said.
The partnership is a box ticked for WSI CEO Simon Hickey, who provided an update on the airport’s progress.
“We’re on time, we’re on budget, and we’ll be opening next year as we always said,” Hickey stated.
The terminal will be capable of handling 10 million annual passengers in comparison to Sydney Airport’s 45 million.
“We’ll be about the size of Adelaide [Airport] when we open,” the CEO explained.
“This is an integrated international and domestic airport, so they’re right next door to each other, which means your connection time between a domestic flight and an international flight will be the fastest on the east coast in Australia.”
Construction of the dnata facility is underway and expected to be completed in late 2026.
