A cornerstone of Australian travel bureaucracy – the mandatory incoming passenger card filled out by passengers on international flights – may be headed for extinction.
Sydney airport, Australia’s busiest international terminal, launched the trial of a digital declaration card on Wednesday.
Only passengers flying with Qantas from Auckland or Queenstown in New Zealand are eligible and must complete a declaration digitally before they fly.
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On landing in Sydney, they get a digital pass with a QR code for inspection by border and biosecurity officers.
The trial is operated through the Qantas app.
The move is part of a broader push towards contactless airline travel, including the use of digital credentials and facial recognition to streamline journeys.
Qantas is the first Australian airline to introduce a digital replacement for the incoming passenger card, which has long been a bugbear for weary travellers at the end of an arduous journey home.
Though new for Sydney, a similar trial has been operational at Brisbane international airport since October last year, with more than 70,000 passengers taking part.
The home affairs and immigration minister, Tony Burke, said the digital option at Sydney airport would be welcomed by passengers.
“Extending the trial to Australia’s busiest airport means, every day, hundreds more passengers will have a more seamless travel experience.”
The Qantas international and freight chief executive, Cam Wallace, described it as “a significant step forward” in simplifying the arrival process.
He said the response from travellers in Brisbane had been “overwhelmingly positive [and] has demonstrated just how much demand there is for this innovation”.
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An Australian Border Force (ABF) spokesperson could not provide a timeline of which Australian airport could trial the program next but confirmed a staged introduction is likely given its success in Brisbane.
The ABF said it will work with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and Sydney airport on expanding the trial over the coming months to include additional Qantas flights.
The spokesperson could not confirm whether other airlines would adopt the digital innovation, or if international flights outside of New Zealand would be included.
The ABF commissioner, Gavan Reynolds, said the introduction of the digital incoming passenger card at Sydney “is a huge step forward for industry and passengers”.
The agriculture, fisheries and forestry minister, Julie Collins, said the initiative will help simplify traveller clearances while ensuring strong biosecurity protections at the border.
Australian citizens who refuse to complete an IPC may be penalised, according to the ABF website. Non-Australian citizens may be penalised and refused immigration clearance.