Sydney's new $5bn airport has one big problem: Getting there is tough

Western Sydney International (WSI), Sydney's first commercial 24-hour airport, opened for flights on Sunday, but getting there remains a problem for many of the people it was built to serve.

The $5bn airport has been built to serve Western Sydney. Yet for some residents, living close by will not necessarily mean a faster commute, because the transport links to the new airport are not yet in place.

The airport will not have direct public transportation for a year. A metro is being built to serve it, but the project has faced delays and will not be complete for at least another 12 months.

That gap is the central issue for local travellers. An airport can be close on a map and still be hard to reach in practice, and for now the journey to WSI is the part of the trip that causes the most difficulty.

The BBC's Lana Lam asked Sydney residents how long it will take them to get to WSI, putting the question directly to the people who live near the new airport and who are most likely to use it.

The question puts the focus where the story puts it: the new airport is open and operating around the clock, but until the metro is finished, getting there will remain tough for many in Western Sydney.