By Andrew Brown and Kat Wong in Canberra

Singapore Airlines will be the first international carrier to fly out of Western Sydney Airport.

The airline has signed a commercial agreement to start developing operations at the Badgerys Creek site, ahead of the airport’s opening to the public in late 2026.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the airline deal is significant for western Sydney.

“This investment will connect Badgerys Creek to Marina Bay, it will boost jobs, investment and opportunities right here in western Sydney,” he told reporters in Sydney on Tuesday.

“By having Singapore Airlines as the first international airline to commit from overseas to use this airport, what it will do is give direct access into all those markets that Singapore Airlines flies to.”

Construction on Sydney’s second airport has passed the 80 per cent completion mark, and is expected to welcome 10 million passengers each year when it is opened.

It comes a day after the federal government unveiled its white paper for the aviation industry, which recommended improved consumer protections.

Among the recommendations was an ombudsman that would force airlines to pay compensation to travellers for delayed or cancelled flights, as well as set up guidelines for customer treatment.

But lawyers have warned Australians may not be reimbursed as much compared to travellers overseas.

According to Australian Lawyers Alliance spokeswoman Victoria Roy, suggestions  laid out in the white paper still fall short of international standards.

The European Union, Canada and other jurisdictions all have simple flight delay compensation schemes that require airlines to refund or reorganise travel arrangements, while offering extra compensation for inconvenience or distress.

There are concerns that the Australian government’s vision might not require carriers to pay passengers more than their travel expenses and airfare refunds.

Ms Roy also noted travellers who sustained a psychiatric injury or experienced sexual assault had also been left without clear rights to compensation.

“(The proposals) are an improvement on the current situation but overall the white paper is disappointing for consumers and a missed opportunity,” Ms Roy said.

“Passengers deserve a clear right to compensation … (they) need certainty and better protections now.”

The efforts to make the industry fairer, more accessible and competitive were welcomed by Flight Centre chief executive Graham Turner but he said the potential ramifications for airlines needed careful consideration.

“It’s important to note that there are a range of reasons that flights may be delayed or cancelled, and not all of them are the fault of the airline,” he said.

“We’re already operating in an environment where there’s essentially a duopoly that is creating a barrier to other operators and we’ve seen recent casualties such as Bonza and Rex as a result.”

The white paper outlined ways to improve the sustainability, competitiveness, efficiency and safety of the aviation sector.

Though it is designed to guide the sector through to 2050, RMIT Aviation Academy director Lea Vesic says many of its suggestions provide short-term solutions to systemic issues like workplace shortages.

“The federal government’s Aviation White Paper seems to reactively address systemic problems in the aviation industry, rather than presenting a robust vision for its future,” she said.

“Although attention has been rightly focused on market competition and consumer rights, there is much more to achieve in reforming the industry.”