Brisbane Airport Opens New Passport Control Ahead of School Holiday Rush

Image: Brisbane Airport Corporation

International travellers flying from Brisbane will notice a significant change from today, with Brisbane Airport opening its new 12-lane passport control area just in time for one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

Passport control at the International Terminal has been relocated upstairs to Level 4, alongside the airport's new security screening area.

It means that for the first time, check-in, security screening and passport control are all located on the same level, creating a considerably more straightforward journey through the terminal before passengers head towards their departure gate.

And the timing probably couldn't be better.

More than 1.8 million passengers are expected to travel through Brisbane Airport between Friday, 18 September and Monday, 12 October as Queensland, NSW, Victoria and New Zealand school holiday periods overlap. 

Previously, security screening and passport control at Brisbane's International Terminal were located on Level 3.

As part of the airport's major redevelopment, security screening has already moved upstairs into a large, naturally lit area on Level 4.

Passport control has now joined it.

Passengers departing internationally can therefore complete the major stages of the departure process without having to move between different levels of the terminal.

After checking in and dropping off their luggage, passengers proceed through the new security screening area and then directly to the new passport control point.

Brisbane Airport Executive General Manager Aviation Ryan Both said the aim was to make the process simpler and more intuitive for passengers.

"Passengers can now move seamlessly from security screening to passport control in one streamlined journey, making it easier to get from kerbside to gate."

The relocation is part of the airport's much larger $5 billion Future BNE transformation program, which will progressively overhaul significant parts of the airport precinct over the next five years.

The new location isn't the only change international passengers may notice.

Brisbane Airport has introduced new CT security screening technology, allowing passengers to leave items including laptops and other electronic devices inside their carry-on bags while they're screened.

The technology produces three-dimensional images of baggage and is designed to improve screening accuracy while reducing the need for bags to be rescanned.

For anyone accustomed to the familiar airport routine of unpacking half their carry-on into security trays, that's a welcome improvement.

International restrictions on what passengers can carry haven't disappeared, though.

Limits still apply to liquids, aerosols, gels and powders carried on international flights, even though those items can remain inside the bag during the screening process.

The new passport-control area is opening just as Brisbane Airport enters its September school holiday peak.

More than 1.8 million passengers are expected to pass through the airport between 18 September and 12 October, with international travel forecast to be 6.1% higher than during the same period last year.

Popular overseas destinations include Japan, China, Europe and North America, along with perennial Australian favourites including Bali, Fiji and Vanuatu.

The airport expects Monday, 5 October to be particularly hectic.

That date falls during the public holiday and NRL Grand Final long weekend and is forecast to become the second-busiest day in Brisbane Airport's history, with around 84,100 passengers expected across the domestic and international terminals.

For international passengers specifically, the airport expects some of the busiest days to be 18, 24 and 26 September and 1 and 3 October.

While the new departure process should make travelling through the International Terminal easier, Brisbane Airport isn't suggesting passengers cut their arrival times.

The airport continues to recommend arriving three hours before an international flight and 90 minutes before a domestic flight.

Traffic around the terminals, parking, check-in, baggage drop and security screening are all expected to be busier than usual during the holiday period.

If you're driving to the airport, Brisbane Airport is also recommending booking parking in advance and allowing additional time to travel from the car park to the terminal.

There's another temporary wrinkle worth knowing about.

Because redevelopment work is continuing, some international flights are temporarily checking in on Level 2 rather than Level 4. Passengers should check the Flight Information Display screens when they arrive to confirm the correct check-in location for their flight.

The new passport-control area is only one part of a much larger transformation underway at Brisbane Airport.

Self-service check-in and automated bag-drop facilities are progressively being installed, baggage-handling systems are being upgraded and the International Terminal's retail offering is undergoing a major overhaul.

The airport's duty-free area is eventually expected to almost double in size, while new food, beverage and retail outlets will continue opening as work progresses.

Brisbane Airport welcomed a record 25 million passengers over the past year and now connects travellers with 35 international and 63 domestic destinations.

With international travel continuing to grow and Brisbane preparing for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the airport's transformation is far from finished.

But for anyone heading overseas from Brisbane these school holidays, one of the more noticeable changes has arrived already: check-in, security and passport control finally follow one another on the same level.