Australian international terminals were plunged into chaos in the early hours of 30 November when the Australian Border Force’s (ABF) passport-processing system went offline nationwide. Travellers at Melbourne and Sydney airports reported snaking queues as SmartGate kiosks went dark and officers reverted to manual checks. An ABF spokesperson confirmed the “system issue” began shortly after 2 a.m. and affected “all inbound and outbound passengers”, prompting priority processing for flights deemed most time-critical.
The outage lasted a little over an hour but its ripple effects were felt well into the afternoon. Melbourne Airport said it worked with airlines to resequence departures, while Sydney Airport deployed extra ground staff to manage frustrated passengers. Brisbane’s international terminal experienced only two flight delays, yet the incident highlighted the fragility of Australia’s high-tech border infrastructure.
![Nationwide passport-control outage snarls departures at major Australian airports]()
ABF is still investigating the root cause, but industry sources say the fault appears to have originated in a software patch rolled out at midnight. The agency experienced a similar SmartGate failure in November 2024, raising questions about system resilience and contingency planning. Airlines are pressing Home Affairs for clearer escalation protocols after staff were given just ten minutes’ notice of the shutdown.
For business travellers, the scare underscores the importance of allowing generous connection times during the busy southern-summer peak and ensuring mobile devices are loaded with airline apps for rapid re-booking. Travel-risk managers also recommend that corporates review their duty-of-care playbooks, including contingency transport and lounge access for delayed staff.
The outage lasted a little over an hour but its ripple effects were felt well into the afternoon. Melbourne Airport said it worked with airlines to resequence departures, while Sydney Airport deployed extra ground staff to manage frustrated passengers. Brisbane’s international terminal experienced only two flight delays, yet the incident highlighted the fragility of Australia’s high-tech border infrastructure.
ABF is still investigating the root cause, but industry sources say the fault appears to have originated in a software patch rolled out at midnight. The agency experienced a similar SmartGate failure in November 2024, raising questions about system resilience and contingency planning. Airlines are pressing Home Affairs for clearer escalation protocols after staff were given just ten minutes’ notice of the shutdown.
For business travellers, the scare underscores the importance of allowing generous connection times during the busy southern-summer peak and ensuring mobile devices are loaded with airline apps for rapid re-booking. Travel-risk managers also recommend that corporates review their duty-of-care playbooks, including contingency transport and lounge access for delayed staff.
