A jet aircraft will touch down at Sydney’s new international airport for the first time at the end of the month, marking a historic moment for the $6 billion project as testing steps up a gear just over a year out from opening to passengers.

The NSW Rural Fire Service will land its Boeing 737 air tanker – named the Marie Bashir – on Western Sydney Airport’s new runway on October 28 as part of a multi-agency emergency exercise. The firebombing 737 will be used to test a full-scale response to a simulated aircraft emergency.

The exercise involving more than 100 first responders and about 300 volunteers will extend into the following day, and will test the new airport’s preparedness, response and recovery capabilities, while ensuring it meets the certification needed for it to open late n

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