“Computer says no” could soon become a reality for passengers as Qantas Airways begins trialing automated boarding gates aimed at enforcing group boarding more strictly.
The system uses smart gates developed by aviation technology provider SITA in partnership with Sydney Airport. These gates are designed to check boarding passes and ensure passengers board according to assigned groups based on cabin class, frequent flyer status, and seat number.
The trial is currently underway at Gate 10 in Sydney Airport’s domestic Terminal 3, where passengers scan either a digital or printed boarding pass to pass through the gate and access the aerobridge. Notably, the current setup does not include biometric verification.
According to Qantas, the trial will run for around three months and is intended to evaluate whether automated gates can reduce boarding errors, improve efficiency, and streamline the boarding process while allowing staff to focus more on customer assistance.
Passengers and staff will also be asked to provide feedback during the trial period.
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