Advanced Passenger Processing

Letter to the Editor - The Age
24 February 2004

Dear Sir/Madam

Your readers may be interested to learn the New Zealand Advanced Passenger Processing (APP) system (Sky's the limit for passenger screening system 24/02/02) was developed in Australia and has operated in Australia very successfully since the late 1990's.

The system plays a major role in protecting our border by enabling airline check-in staff to conduct real-time pre-boarding checks of all passengers and crew against Australian immigration data-bases at the time the passenger or crew member checks-in for their flight to Australia.

After many years of successfully contributing to Australia's border protection strategy, the APP system was adopted recently by New Zealand immigration authorities.

In addition to New Zealand, the UK and Canada have also expressed an interest in the system. The APP is an excellent example of how Australian technological solutions are being adopted by other countries as best practice for border protection.

Roger Wheatley
Acting Director
Public Affairs
DIMIA