Business
29 October, 2026
Historic flight has ‘Intern Pete’ feeling sky high
You could be forgiven for thinking that Sydney’s Peter Deppeler had just won the lottery. But it wasn’t a giant cheque he was holding over his head – it was a giant boarding pass for one of the most sought-after flights in Australian aviation history.
You could be forgiven for thinking that Sydney’s Peter Deppeler had just won the lottery.
But it wasn’t a giant cheque he was holding over his head – it was a giant boarding pass for one of the most sought-after flights in Australian aviation history.
Jetstar flight JQ362 was the first commercial flight to depart from the new Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport.
All 188 tickets for the historic flight were snapped up within 45 minutes of going on sale.
Its departure on Sunday morning followed the airport’s official opening by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese – who cheered on with other invited guests as the flight departed for the Gold Coast shortly after 10am.
Mr Deppeler – better known to many radio listeners as ‘Intern Pete’ from The Kyle and Jackie O Show on KIIS FM – couldn’t hide his excitement as he checked in at Australia’s newest airport.
He wasn’t going on a holiday.
He told The Southern Wire he simply loved flying and Sunday’s flight was a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity.
He flew back to Sydney the same day and was on board the first international flight out of WSI on Monday, flying with Air New Zealand to Auckland for his work with The Christian O’Connell show.
There was certainly a sense of excitement in the terminal on Sunday morning as airport staff welcomed passengers for the first time and Jetstar staff handed out free ‘We Love WSI’ t-shirts to anyone willing to take them.
Media representatives outnumbered passengers downstairs, while upstairs politicians – NSW Premier Chris Minns and former Prime Ministers Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison included – started to outnumber them all.
Jetstar pilot Guy Proctor said it was a privilege to be behind the controls of the first commercial passenger flight out of WSI.
He acknowledged that the opportunity for a pilot to fly out of a brand new airport didn’t come along very often.
First officer Aglaya Papadokokolakis was equally as excited.
The Blacktown resident – who has been with Jetstar for three years – described it as “very special flight” and an “amazing opportunity”.
Upstairs, the talk was more about job creation and economic opportunities and what the opening of WSI would mean not only for Western Sydney and NSW but for Australia as a whole.
One of the few lighter moments in the proceedings came when the MC almost forgot to welcome Premier Chris Minns to the stage to say a few words before Prime Minister Albanese unveiled the plaque and declared WSI officially open.
“I thought I was going to be WSI’s first failed take-off,” the Premier said.
Dignitaries sipped champagne as they watched Jestar flight JQ362 depart for Queensland while airport visitors enjoyed a range of cultural performances in the arrivals hall.
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