Electronic immigration gates malfunction at Australia's three major airports, causing long queues for travelers.
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CARNOC (Civil Aviation Resource Net of China) – September 18, 2026: Starting around 9:00 PM on Thursday (September 17), automated border processing gates at multiple Australian airports experienced a malfunction lasting 14 hours, severely affecting both departing and arriving international passengers.
A spokesperson for the Australian Border Force (ABF) stated: "The ABF is aware of a technical issue affecting automated border processing gates for departing and some arriving passengers."
The spokesperson confirmed that Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne international airports were all affected by the issue.
The spokesperson added: "We are deploying additional ABF personnel to the processing areas to manually clear passengers and minimize disruption as much as possible."
Many travelers shared photos online showing long queues inside the international terminals.
A traveler described "long lines" throughout the terminal, with queues spilling over into the check-in area.
According to a spokesperson for the Australian Border Force, the technical issue was resolved by 11:00 a.m. on Friday, and the backlog of passengers had been cleared.
"The cause of the technical fault is still under investigation," the spokesperson said. "We appreciate the understanding shown by travelers during this time."
**Outage Coincides with Peak Australian School Holidays**
The outage occurred just as school holidays began in the Australian states of Queensland and Victoria, a time when airports were preparing for an influx of international travelers.
Brisbane Airport forecasts that passenger numbers will exceed 1.8 million between September 18 and October 12, with international passenger volume projected to rise by 6.1% compared to the same period last year.
Melbourne Airport expects passenger numbers to reach 1.86 million between September 18 and October 4.
Meanwhile, Sydney Airport anticipates a total of 2.67 million passengers between September 21 and October 11.
Sydney Airport CEO Scott Charlton noted that the September school holidays are one of the busiest times of the year.
"With passenger numbers expected to rise during the holidays, we advise travelers to arrive at the airport early and plan ahead to ensure a smooth journey," he said.