Disclosed is a system and method for automatically aligning an end of a passenger boarding bridge with a doorway of an aircraft. A beacon is transmitted from a predetermined location aboard the aircraft, such as within a window proximate a doorway of the aircraft. The beacon is sensed and from the sensed beacon a direction for moving of the end of the passenger boarding bridge is determined. The passenger boarding bridge is then moved according to the determined direction. The process is iterated until the docking of the bridge to the aircraft is completed.