Jake Nelson

The federal government and Qantas will expand the current pilot program for the digital Australia Travel Declaration (ATD) to cities including Perth and Adelaide by the end of this year, before phasing the ATD in across “all international airports and seaports” over the next 12 to 18 months.

Developed following “extensive consultation with community and industry throughout July and August 2025”, Airservices says the new plan will reduce noise impacts from the airport for around 140,000 people.

The completed arrivals area features a new U-shaped baggage claim carousel, as well as a Tasmania-designed outdoor forecourt. According to Hobart Airport CEO Norris Carter, the airport’s terminal expansion is now two-thirds complete, with new departure gates having opened earlier this year.

The Flying Kangaroo saw 87.16 per cent of flights arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled time last month, just edging out Colombian carrier Avianca and Indian low-cost airline IndiGo, at 87 per cent and 86.64 per cent respectively.

The changes, approved earlier this year, affect all flights in the Sydney area, including from Kingsford Smith, WSI, and Bankstown Airport. In a post on LinkedIn, Airservices hailed the overhaul as “one of the most significant airspace transformations in Australia’s aviation history”.

BITRE data for May 2026 showed that 82.1 per cent of flights across participating airlines arrived on time and 82.8 per cent departed on time, with 1.5 per cent cancelled, compared to long-term averages of 80.5 per cent for arrivals, 81.6 per cent for departures, and 2.2 per cent for cancellations.