Gone are the days of lost pens and hastily scribbled declarations! Australia is about to say goodbye to paper arrival forms, relics of a bygone era that have haunted travelers' suitcases for decades. Qantasthe country's flag carrier, has just launched a trial that could well revolutionize the experience of passengers arriving on Australian soil.
A digital revolution in the air
Imagine yourself comfortably installed in your seat, flying over the Pacific Ocean towards Sydney. Instead of contorting your body to fill in a paper form on the tray table in your seat, you calmly pull out your smartphone. A few taps on the screen and you're done: your arrival declaration is completed before the plane has even started its descent.
This scenario, worthy of a science-fiction film just a few years ago, is about to become reality. Qantas, in collaboration with the Australian border authorities, is currently testing a fully digital arrival declaration system. Passengers can now fill in their forms online up to 72 hours before landing.directly via the airline application.
A promising start
The first guinea pigs in this futuristic experiment? A score of lucky travelers on board the flight QF126 from Auckland. On arrival at Brisbane airport, these pioneers of travel 2.0 were able to savor the joys of a lightning passage through border control, armed with a simple QR code on their phone.
It was quick, maybe a minute or two. I did it on the way to the airport.
Kathleen Gaffney, a passenger clearly won over
A major challenge for Australia
But beyond the comfort of travelers, a whole area of national security is at stake. Mike Outramthe commissioner of the Australian Border Force, makes no secret of his enthusiasm.It's crazy that in a modern world, our security is based on a piece of paper.“
The COVID-19 pandemic cruelly highlighted the limitations of the current system. When health authorities needed to quickly trace potential cases, it sometimes took up to 3 days to scan and process paper forms. An unacceptable delay in a crisis situation.
Numbers that make you dizzy
Every year, more than 20 million cards printed to welcome international visitors to Australia. A mountain of paper that could soon disappear, to the delight of trees and customs officers alike.
In terms of biosecurity, the stakes are colossal. In fiscal year 2023-2024 alone, authorities intercepted over 368,600 high-risk items at border crossings. Contaminated meat, shoes, seeds, rice, herbs and spices are all potential threats to the island-continent's unique ecosystem.
An ambitious project, but not without its pitfalls
This isn't the first time Australia has tried to digitize its arrival process. Two previous attempts ended in abject failure, the most recent of which cost taxpayers a whopping A$60 million before being abandoned after just 5 months of use in 2022.
But this time, the approach seems different. Instead of creating a dedicated application from scratch, the authorities opted to use Qantas' existing infrastructure.. A strategy that could well make all the difference.
Towards widespread use of the system
If the trial proves successful, the system could quickly be extended to other routes. Starting next week, flights from Wellington will be integrated into the program, with the ambition of eventually including all New Zealand airports serving Brisbane directly.
With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games just 8 years away, Australia seems determined to modernize and digitalize its administration. Gert-Jan de GraaffCEO of Brisbane Airport, makes no secret of his impatience: "We really hope that the trial will show that it's a solution that works for all passengers, so we can roll it out sooner rather than later.“
| Criteria | Current paper system | New digital system |
|---|---|---|
| Filling time | Variable, often stressful | 1-2 minutes, up to 72 hours before flight |
| Risk of error | High (illegible handwriting, omissions) | Low (automatic checks) |
| Data processing | Slow (up to 3 days) | Snapshot |
| Environmental impact | 20 million cards printed/year | Negligible |
| Flexibility | No | Modification possible until landing |
| User experience | Tedious | Smooth and fast |
While the commissioner Mike Outram is preparing to step down this month, this project could well be his most lasting legacy. "I'm really happy to see the end of this piece of paper - it's the beginning of the end."He declares with a smile that speaks volumes about the promise of this digital revolution.
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