The annoying in-flight ritual this major Aussie airport is finally trying to kill off

Passengers arriving at a major Aussie airport could soon say goodbye to outdated, analogue border entry paperwork, as it becomes the latest international arrivals hub to adopt the digital incoming passenger card.

Melbourne Airport has joined Sydney and Brisbane international airports by becoming part of the Australian Travel Declaration (ATD) pilot program, a major step forward into the digital airport age.

But it doesn't mean all travellers flying into Melbourne can say goodbye to that annoying yellow slip of paper just yet.

The ATD is a pilot program under which eligible travellers can participate in a digital clearance process when they go through border controls and biosecurity when arriving into Australia.

It will eventually replace the yellow paper form travellers into Australia have to fill out - often in the plane - and hand to border control officers when clearing customs.

The pilot program, led by Australia Border Force and Qantas, will allow passengers flying into Melbourne on Qantas flights QF154 from Auckland and QF178 from Queenstown to complete the ATD through the Qantas app.

The program launched for travellers on certain Qantas flights into Brisbane in October 2024 and Sydney followed in August 2025.

Passengers can complete the declaration through the app up to 72 hours before they travel into Australia.

Once completed, a digital pass with a QR code will be emailed to them and this needs to be presented to ABF and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry officers upon arrival at the airport.

No other airlines or airports (apart from the above-mentioned three) are offering the ATD just yet.

Australian Airports Association CEO Simon Westaway said the ATD's expansion to some Melbourne flights will help deliver "a more seamless travel experience for passengers" and a more modern, "technology-led" welcome for international visitors.

Australia is behind other countries - notably Singapore and Hong Kong - when it comes to border and passenger processing technology.

All elements of the arrivals process are digitised in these countries.

Westaway said the priority now is working with the Australian Federal Government on a full national rollout of the digital technology.

"Beyond that, we need to think bigger picture on modern border systems, including biometrics, SmartGates and technology that supports passport-less travel," Westaway told Explore.

Uptake for the ATD has been positive thus far; more than 380,000 passengers have used the new digital system since its launch.

Westaway said the government should be "looking closely at how to move beyond paper processes" - particularly with the upcoming Brisbane Olympics.

"With Brisbane 2032 approaching, now is the time to build the kind of seamless airport experience travellers already see in leading global hubs," he said.

Melbourne Airport and the AAA have been calling on the Federal Government to invest in more digital border technology since the government announced it would hike its Passenger Movement Card (PMC) fee from $70 to $80 from January 2027.

This was announced in the 2026 Federal Budget in May.

All passengers leaving Australia who are 12 and over pay the PMC charge, which is usually factored into the cost of their airline ticket.

Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said in May that the airport is investing $7.5 billion of private money to deliver a third runway and expand the airport's international terminal to cater for increased demand.

"As we modernise our airport, we will continue partnering with the Federal Government to modernise the border and invest in technology that can deliver a faster, more seamless arrival experience for international travellers," Argus said.

"Our international passenger numbers have doubled in the past 10 years but our Border Force kiosk numbers have remained the same, and the international arrivals experience has become one of our biggest passenger pain points."

The first phase of the terminal expansion will open later this year with a new baggage system and pick up and drop off locations for terminals 1, 2 and 3.