INTERNATIONAL travel growth could unlock $380 million a year for the federal government if it reinvests in long-overdue border modernisation at our international gateways, according to the Australian Airports Association (AAA).
The organisation is calling for an additional 5% of total passenger movement charge revenue each year to be allocated to border and airport processing infrastructure at international airports, as part of its 2026–27 budget submission.
More than $1.3 billion per year is currently raised by the PMC, of which less than half is reinvested for border management.
Increased funding would help upgrade the passenger experience and national productivity at Australia’s airports, such as additional SmartGate kiosks and digitising the incoming passenger card.
Recent research from the AAA showed that 71% of Australian travellers support digitising the incoming passenger card – a move the government has lingered on for years; while a further 78% back passport-less border processing.
Meanwhile, annual international passenger volumes are projected to grow around 23% by the end of the decade.
“After a long international flight, passengers expect to clear the border efficiently, not spend an hour standing in queues wondering why systems cannot keep up,” CEO Simon Westaway said.
