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A trial of digital incoming passenger cards (IPCs) has been expanded to Sydney Airport on select Qantas flights from New Zealand.
Passengers on two inbound Qantas flights – QF144 from Auckland, and QF122 from Queenstown – are now able to access the Australia Digital Travel Declaration (ATD), following a successful trial period at Brisbane Airport.
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The pilot program, announced in August last year, allows eligible Qantas customers to access and fill out the ATD through the Qantas app up to 72 hours before departure, removing the need for the physical IPC.
“When people arrive in Sydney, I want them out of the airport and experiencing the city as fast as possible,” said Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Tony Burke.
“Extending the trial to Australia’s busiest airport means every day, hundreds more passengers will have a more seamless travel experience.”
The program is being run in concert with Australian Border Force. According to its commissioner, Gav Reynolds, Australian border agencies are “striving towards efficient and modernised trade and travel”.
“A significant amount of collaborative work between industry and government, has gone into this pilot program. It is now entering the next phase as we continue to enhance the passenger experience, creating a seamless travel capability,” he said.
Qantas is the first Australian airline to use the ATD, and international and freight CEO Cam Wallace said it will give passengers a smoother journey into the country.
“This is a significant step forward in simplifying the arrival process into Australia, and the overwhelmingly positive response from our customers in Brisbane has demonstrated just how much demand there is for this innovation,” he said.
Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, has welcomed the trial, saying the airport is proud to support it.
“Every international service brings in $130 million in annual economic benefit and supports 1,200 full time jobs, so making our border processes more efficient is an important investment in boosting national productivity,” he said.
“I want to thank Minister Burke for backing this important initiative, as well Australian Border Force, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, and Qantas for their collaboration and hard work bringing this trial online.”
The scrapping of paper IPCs has been signalled for some time, with the Morrison government in 2021 announcing a $75 million deal with Accenture for the Digital Passenger Declaration.
The Australia Digital Travel Declaration will be rolled out to other airlines and routes pending a successful pilot program.
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