Increased aviation security at Australian airports

[esseeeayeenn]

Following "anti-terror" raids in Surry Hills (an affluent if slightly alternative suburb in Sydney's inner east) there are announcements of increased security at both international and domestic terminals at Austalian airports.
Cairns airport and Virgin Australia are advising passengers to arrive TWO HOURS in advance of domestic departures.
No idea what they intend to do with the extra time.

 

[Maz11]

Weirdly the alert only popped up when I was looking for a flight from Cairns. It's not just Cairns airport is it?

 

[Blackbird]

Both the Virgin and Cairns Airport web sites state the measures are at Australian major airports.
Cannot see anything on this except the Cairns Airport and Virgin sites.
Flights appear to be leaving on time today.
Almost certainly related to terrorism raids last night in Sydney where an explosive device was reportedly found.

 

[Maz11]

apparently the raids in Sydney involved a plot for blowing up a plane , so security has increased at all airports. News just trickling out about it now.

 

[RooFlyer]

Why the use of scare quotes, as in "anti terror"? Is there some doubt about the nature of the raids?

 

[Spongbob]

I get the impression that some these "anti-terror" raids are focused more on PR than national security, given that they often do not result in criminal charges (despite the odd arrests).

 

[pauly7]

From all the news this appears to be arrests that have directly disrupted an attempt to bring down a domestic aircraft with an explosive device. Sydney airport was alerted on Thursday and was operating under increased security from then and all other ports from this morning. Customers advised to allow extra time at all major ports.

 

[ausfox]

Does mean arriving at 0400 for a flight MEL_SYD 0600 tomorrow?

 

[TomVexille]

Reports on fb that everyone is being subjected to explosives testing

 

[pauly7]

Does mean arriving at 0400 for a flight MEL_SYD 0600 tomorrow?

I have an early AM flight as well from a major port. I'm going to allow a decent amount of time, more than usual as I suspect a lot of other people will as well given the news and front pages this AM -> which will create a much busier and earlier peak than normal.

 

[andyhui01]

Noticed new screening machines at T3 Melb. Thought they were just upgrading equipment but could be related to this

 

[samh004]

Reports on fb that everyone is being subjected to explosives testing

Hah. I can't see that lasting long when flights start getting delayed and wait times at security stretch into the hours!

Time to tighten up priority screening lines again?

 

[Melburnian1]

The Prime Minister has confirmed that the plot was a planned Islamic terrorist attack.

samh004 may be correct in suggesting the increased screening won't last long, but irrespective, it will be a major inconvenience to businessmen and women and those travelling on early morning 0600 hours flights.

 

[Virgin Bart]

The Prime Minister has confirmed that the plot was a planned Islamic terrorist attack.

...

Unfortunately I'm entirely unsurprised.

 

[Melburnian1]

One problem with advising people to arrive two hours before is that there will be a percentage of travellers who for many reasons do not know this. Not everyone reads the newspapers (print or online), listens to the radio or watches television, and some may even ignore messages sent to their smartphones, or in the case of some elderly persons not be overly familiar with the technology and hence 'miss' a message.

And that's without considering overseas-based travellers who have made and had accepted bookings with MCTs of say 90 minutes. This group can be rebooked, however, at least in theory, although that is harder same day on routes with limited frequencies or where demand means planes are already full, as is commonly the case during school holidays.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

One problem with advising people to arrive two hours before is that there will be a percentage of travellers who for many reasons do not know this. Not everyone reads the newspapers (print or online), listens to the radio or watches television, and some may even ignore messages sent to their smartphones, or in the case of some elderly persons not be overly familiar with the technology and hence 'miss' a message.

And that's without considering overseas-based travellers who have made and had accepted bookings with MCTs of say 90 minutes. This group can be rebooked, however, at least in theory, although that is harder same day on routes with limited frequencies or where demand means planes are already full, as is commonly the case during school holidays.

The screening doesn't take two hours. They don't need everyone to arrive two hours before the flight. They just need enough to arrive then to give them time to process everyone.
They're not closing check-in two hours before departure.

This advice from Turnbull is ridiculous:

They should limit the amount of carry-on and checked baggage, as this will help to ensure that security screening is efficient.

Reasonable to ask PAX to reduce carry-on but that would mean more, not less, checked baggage.

 

[Melburnian1]

As at 1255 hours on Sunday 30 July, the Melbourne and Perth Airports websites had advisory notices plastered in red across the top of their websites together with, in Melbourne's case, this additional information:

http://melbourneairport.com.au/abou...ent-regarding-enhanced-security-measures.html

Sydney Airport's site lacked anything on its home page.

Brisbane Airport had a brief message as part of its rotating advice to travellers, but it isn't in a very noticeable colour or font.

Melbourne Airport's information said '...to ensure security screening is efficient' whereas Perth's changed 'is' to 'remains.' There's an assumption in the latter that is questionable.

Score: Melbourne 8, Perth 7,. Brisbane 5, Sydney 0.

I agree that the advice about 'limiting' checked luggage is silly. It will be widely ignored.

If many passengers are delayed - who knows, perhaps few will be - will the airlines start to scream as they suddenly have to rebook more passengers (or delay more flights)?

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Why the use of scare quotes, as in "anti terror"? Is there some doubt about the nature of the raids?

I'll reserve judgement until we know what charges (and convictions) flow from this.
I'm not actively doubting the nature of the raids but the presence of friendly journalists who had obviously been tipped off makes me alert to other possible motives.
I'm also mindful of the grotesquely inappropriate performance art by the ADF which the PM used as a backdrop to his recent press conference.
Of course this could represent inappropriate exploitation of what are, nonetheless, legitimate anti-terror raids.
I'll form an opinion after the trials.

 

[Denali]

Any changes to the Sydney curb lounge/security access? We usually check in, drop bags and then walk outside to the curb entry.

 

[Melburnian1]

Any changes to the Sydney curb lounge/security access? We usually check in, drop bags and then walk outside to the curb entry.

Do you mean 'kerbside?' We're not in the good ol'USA!