Labor's second airport to take off Sydney residents could be flying in and out of a major airport in western Sydney within a decade after Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said construction would start on an airport within three years if Labor was re-elected. The long-running saga of Sydney's second airport was pitched into the federal election campaign when Mr Albanese, also the Transport Minister, said he was "absolutely determined" to begin construction of an airport in the next term of government. The commitment sparked a debate about a site for the airport, but Mr Albanese again declined to nominate where it should be. Options: Badgerys Creek, one of two potential sites for the proposed second Sydney Airport. "A second airport for Sydney, [I'm] absolutely determined construction will begin in the next term if I'm re-elected," he said on Thursday. But Mr Albanese was immediately accused of being too optimistic in his timeframe. The opposition, market analysts and local politicians pointed out he had not nominated a site for an airport. And even when a site is chosen, it could take more than three years to begin building. "I doubt it will be at a stage [where] construction can begin in the next term," opposition transport spokesman Warren Truss said. It's just a thought bubble: they don't have the funding, they don't have the plans, and I think this is being completely unrealistic. The favoured site to build another airport in Sydney is Badgerys Creek in the city's west, where the government owns 17,000 hectares. But both sides of politics oppose a Badgerys Creek airport, though numerous reports commissioned both before and during Mr Albanese's time as Transport Minister show it would be the best option and could be built within 10 years. Mr Albanese's department is doing "geotechnical analysis" at a site at Wilton, south-west of Badgerys Creek. Tony Hadchiti, president of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils, which has shifted from opposition to an open mind on a Badgerys Creek airport, said it was "great" Mr Albanese was looking to end the "second airport saga." But he said the timeframe had no chance of success. It has taken us 30 to 40 years to get to this point. If everybody believes they are going to get the studies done and start construction within three years I think they're kidding themselves," said Cr Hadchiti, a Liberal on Liverpool City Council. Mr Albanese will also have trouble getting the policy through his own party. The MP for the nearby seat of Chifley, Ed Husic, is one of a number of local members against a Badgerys Creek airport. Both parties have struggled to commit to the Badgerys option. "If people were to believe that they can knock over Wilton and proceed full throttle with Badgerys they need to be upfront with people in western sydney to let them know that unlike Sydney Airport BC would be open 24/7," Mr Husic said. Senior research analyst at Legg Mason Australian Equities Andrew Chambers said it might be possible to physically build an airport in four years, but "before digging dirt you would have to go through the planning, engineering and environmental analysis." A spokeswoman for Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said Labor was "committed to a second airport for Sydney" but there was more to be done in achieving bipartisan support, getting the state government on board and identifying a site.