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Qantas has expanded its trial of digital passenger declarations to Melbourne.
Starting this week, passengers aboard Qantas flights QF154 and QF178 from Auckland and Queenstown to Melbourne can complete the Australia Digital Travel Declaration through the Qantas app up to 72 hours before travel.
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It marks the third phase of the ATD pilot program, which launched in Brisbane in 2024 before expanding to Sydney last year.
“Melbourne is one of our busiest international ports and offering the Australia Travel Declaration here is another way we are improving the arrival experience for our customers,” said Rachel Yangoyan, Qantas chief technology, AI and transformation officer.
“Since launch, we’ve now seen over 380,000 digital declaration submissions through the Qantas app, and the response has been incredibly positive.
“Qantas is the only Australian airline offering this capability and we look forward to continuing to work with the Federal Government to expand access to more flights and more ports.”
According to Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs, Julian Hill, the axing of the paper Incoming Passenger Card (IPC) on select Sydney and Melbourne flights has been “enormously popular with international travellers”.
“The inclusion of Melbourne in this pilot program is the next step in providing a more seamless experience at our borders for Australians and visitors alike,” he said.
“The Government is firmly committed to modernising Australia’s airport arrivals, and digitalising the incoming passenger card allows border agencies to engage with passengers prior to travel, helping to ensure security and biosecurity risks remain offshore.”
It comes as the industry continues to push for getting rid of the paper IPC entirely, with the Australian Airports Association releasing a survey in January which showed 71 per cent of Australian travellers support digitising the IPC, while 78 per cent back “passportless” border processing.
With a $10 increase to the passenger movement charge flagged in this year’s federal budget, AAA CEO Simon Westway reiterated calls for PMC revenue to be used on “modernising” the border, including the digitisation of the IPC.
“This is a simple fix to a frustrating administrative process for anyone flying into Australia and would be a modest productivity investment towards a future seamless border,” he said earlier this month.
“The paper card is an outdated method to gather information and gives the impression that Australia is falling behind on new technology.”
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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