QF Automated Boarding Gate - Sydney Domestic

[SeatBackForward]

The same as boarding for QF flights out of USA ports?

 

[RooFlyer]

The model seems to be SITA Smart Path.

Yes, looks like - although not with the QF branding installed, as touted on the video.

Enhancements on the way ..

SITA Smart Path uses the world’s best-performing facial recognition technology.* That means our matching technology is fast and accurate. Enhanced security is a key benefit. (Put simply, Smart Path is better at facial recognition than people are.) But the real beauty of Smart Path is improved airport efficiency and enhanced customer experience. In live implementations in busy airports, Smart Path cuts boarding times by around 30%.

Not that they're trialling biometrics or a requirement,

Have we info yet on whether biometrics are or are not being collected? Clearly QF thinks that they will be at some point.

Before we hold out European or Canadian usage as a way of saying 'no worries, its here already', I'd also like a comparison of laws in those countries and here relating to biometric data security, storage and use. I have a feeling Australian laws are pretty cough at least compared to the Europeans.

And my question up-thread. When the airlines here do go biometric, where do they acquire the data that says this face is this person?

 

[Quickstatus]

So how does it work domestically to link your face to BP I wonder?

Maybe they opt in to facial biometric (whenever it is offered). This could be done at check in and after that no BP required. But that would completely degrade the online check in that so many people do.

For domestic travel, I don't see how facial scan is faster than BP scan. Imagine if there was a requirement to take headwear off - like caps, glasses for the scan

 

[elanshin]

Have we info yet on whether biometrics are or are not being collected? Clearly QF thinks that they will be at some point.

I vaguely remember reading WSI shoud have all the tech ready from day 1 in anticipation for future changes - but no timeline.

Before we hold out European or Canadian usage as a way of saying 'no worries, its here already', I'd also like a comparison of laws in those countries and here relating to biometric data security, storage and use. I have a feeling Australian laws are pretty cough at least compared to the Europeans.

And my question up-thread. When the airlines here do go biometric, where do they acquire the data that says this face is this person?

Probably opt in for domestic and likely auto captured for international - given we're scanning our face to pass immigration anyways. I think some of Japanese metro trains are trialling facial recognition. You opt in and just walk through instead of tapping to be even more efficient than their blazing fast nfc tap.

 

[SeatBackForward]

I'll throw a curveball, a trial for potential future use of those gates for International flights.

Yes there's no immigration at T3, for now, but the way passport checks are going, immigration itself may not be a thing to go through in future..

 

[Warragul]

I'll throw a curveball, a trial for potential future use of those gates for International flights.

Yes there's no immigration at T3, for now, but the way passport checks are going, immigration itself may not be a thing to go through in future..

That will come eventually, its been talked about (mainly by industry not govt for ages). Roman Q when ABF commissioner liked to mention that as the ultimate aim. By the time it gets here though kiosks in use now will likely be landfill.

 

[Quickstatus]

Just a reminder - "future proofing" is a myth. It is just a ruse to get people to spend on things that may or may not ever come into use.
......

I think some of Japanese metro trains are trialling facial recognition

Do they require removal of eyewear and caps?.

 

[justinbrett]

Yes, looks like - although not with the QF branding installed, as touted on the video.

Enhancements on the way ..





Have we info yet on whether biometrics are or are not being collected? Clearly QF thinks that they will be at some point.

Before we hold out European or Canadian usage as a way of saying 'no worries, its here already', I'd also like a comparison of laws in those countries and here relating to biometric data security, storage and use. I have a feeling Australian laws are pretty cough at least compared to the Europeans.

And my question up-thread. When the airlines here do go biometric, where do they acquire the data that says this face is this person?

It simply can’t happen in Australian domestic terminals without significant regulatory and physical change.

You either need a passport scanner, or an access control point to the terminal where your boarding pass is checked along with ID.

As I understand it models just like these, or even these exact models, are used at various airports within the Schengen zone for Schengen flights - but in my experience you need to pass through a gate and scan your BP to enter airside. But even within Schengen, as I understand it, biometrics are disabled. Australian domestic terminals are very much the exception where anybody can enter.

So really without this baseline point on entering the terminal and requiring photo ID, the most QF can do is take happy snaps of you as you board. As I understand it AFP already use tech connected to CCTV to identify pax who might be on list, so I can’t see whatever QF is doing to be any more than the status quo. I think Bunnings and Kmart were accused of doing something like this as well.

I can’t see why QF would spend money to check biometrics when it’s not required to. The simplest explanation is that QF wants to save money by reducing staff at the gate and speed up boarding. If/when they do a full rollout they might get a cheaper model without the cameras, but for now it makes sense to use tech that SYD already has (noting this kind of tech is usually owned by the airport, not the airline). That said, the camera has other functions even without biometrics such as ensuring only one person enters per boarding pass.

 

[Saab34]

On a recent JQ flight a pax got busted travelling under a different name, he was a Male and the ticket was a female. They only picked up on it when working out a seating issue with a group in his row.

Has been a few police cases I’ve read in books in that criminals shifting between coasts travelled under a different name, with undercover detectives sitting close by.

Would be a significant amount of criminals taking domestic flights under different names, makes it somewhat hard to trace people unless under surveillance.

 

[Quickstatus]

Maybe now Qf will have the answer to all the passengers asking "DYKWIA"

 

[markis10]

Would be a significant amount of criminals taking domestic flights under different names, makes it somewhat hard to trace people unless under surveillance.

Not really

QLD man fined for travelling under friend's name on domestic flight | Australian Federal Police

A Brisbane man was convicted and fined $1700 by the Downing Centre Local Court this week (15 July, 2025) for travelling on a domestic flight under a false name.

afp.gov.au

Fake ID crackdown: AFP issues jail time warning to passengers caught flying on false identities | Australian Federal Police

The AFP has warned travellers they face harsh penalties – including imprisonment – amid a crackdown on people using fake identities on domestic flights in Australia. ***Editor's note: Audio grabs available via Hightail***

www.afp.gov.au

The AFP and ATO have pretty good data matching powers

 

[RooFlyer]

The AFP and ATO have pretty good data matching powers

I'm sure they do, but the first report was someone who made a bomb threat and was escorted off the plane, and then they found he travelled under false name!

 

[Dmac59]

How does it restrict boarding groups?
Still required QF person intervention to where a Group 5 attempts to board during G1/2

 

[RooFlyer]

How does it restrict boarding groups?
Still required QF person intervention to where a Groyp 5 attempts to board during G1/2

Wrong group pax now corralled within the unit. Will have to now shuffle backwards and squeeze past the others in the queue behind, rather than being pulled aside for agent to check. But hey, it works elsewhere ...

 

[Dmac59]

Wrong group pax now corralled within the unit. Will have to now shuffle backwards and squeeze past the others in the queue behind, rather than being pulled aside for agent to check. But hey, it works elsewhere ...

From the OP photo there doesn't appear to be a gate to stop 'ineligible' pax from walking through to the aerobridge.
An alarm may go off that would require staff member intervention.
Time will tell.

 

[justinbrett]

How does it restrict boarding groups?
Still required QF person intervention to where a Group 5 attempts to board during G1/2

The phrase “computer says no” comes to mind.

From the OP photo there doesn't appear to be a gate to stop 'ineligible' pax from walking through to the aerobridge.
An alarm may go off that would require staff member intervention.
Time will tell.

The gate in the photo is in the open position. This tech definitely comes with gates.

 

[SYD]

Will have to now shuffle backwards and squeeze past the others in the queue behind, rather than being pulled aside for agent to check.

aka “Crab walk of shame” past the glaring que of DYKWIA clutching their pearls…