National Customs Software Outage Paralyzes Australian Airports
- A major customs software outage is affecting SmartGate kiosks at international airports across Australia.
- Passengers at airports like Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are experiencing lengthy delays due to manual processing.
- Travelers are encouraged to check flight statuses and allow extra time for travel as the issue is addressed.
On Friday, November 08, 2024, international airports across Australia faced significant processing delays due to a technical outage affecting SmartGate kiosks for inbound and outbound passengers. This national issue has impacted major airports including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and others as passengers wait in long lines for manual processing. Sydney Airport reported that queues were unusually lengthy, and while flights remained unaffected, many passengers expressed frustration on social media about their extended wait times. The Australian Border Force stated that additional officers were deployed to manage the situation and minimize disruption while efforts to rectify the outage continued. As systems began to slowly return online, travelers were advised to check with airlines for flight statuses and allow extra travel time to reach the T1 International Terminal.