Western Sydney Airport selects DXC Technology and Chavali Consulting
With a scheduled opening for 2026, Western Sydney Airport has contracted global ICT consulting firm DXC Technology and aviation partner Chavali Consulting as its master systems integrator.
Named after pioneering female Australian aviator Nancy-Bird Walton, Western Sydney Airport is being designed as the nation’s first smart airport, which is due to open in 2026 with an initial capacity to cater to 10 million passengers a year.
“Embarking on building a greenfield airport from the ground up is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will allow us to bring the latest innovation to the airport and apply emerging technologies,” said DXC Technology’s Asia Pacific president Seelan Nayagam. “We are not only looking forward to supporting this airport with state-of-the-art technology and forward-thinking principles but also helping boost skills and create jobs for Greater Sydney.”
Together with its strategic aviation partner, Hong Kong based boutique Chavali Consulting, DXC has been tasked with building the airport’s foundational technology platforms in preparation for its opening and ongoing operations, which will include the integration of 60 different operational systems.
These systems, including cybersecurity and hosting platforms, will talk to each other, says DXC, providing for a fast, seamless journey for travellers. “DXC will work with us to consider what a digitally-enabled airport opening in 2026 will look like and how we can incorporate tomorrow’s technology to transform the customer experience and avoid the frustrations that can be encountered at other airports,” said Western Sydney Airport CEO Simon Hickey.
“This is the technology framework that will ensure Sydney’s new global gateway delivers an incredible experience unrivalled in Australia.”
In a press release, DXC stated that will incorporate a collection of program accelerators that target the rapid integration of airport systems, including the Aviation Testing Centre of Excellence which the company uses for other airport systems around the world. The firm also said that it is also working with Western Sydney University to develop work readiness skills that will be critical to supporting the new airport and regional growth.
Located roughly 44 kilometres from the CBD, and with construction at the 1,780-hectare site having commenced in late 2018, the long-proposed airport aims to ease capacity strains at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith as demand for air travel continues to rise. Able to cater to 10 million passengers annually on completion, including through 24-hour operations, future development stages could see this capacity expand to 82 million by the 2060s.
Several other consulting firms are working on the launch of the Western Sydney Airport (a $5 billion project), including Accenture, which was appointed as Master Technologist in the summer of 2020.
