Australian Airport Security Flaws Exposed

Airport Security Flaws Exposed
The Australian

February 18, 2004


QANTAS inspectors probing access to restricted areas
at airports have been able to thwart security in up to
12 per cent of tests.

Qantas head of group security Geoff Askew revealed the
figures in a question on notice released yesterday by
a parliamentary committee reviewing aviation security.


"Of the 730 domestic access penetration tests
undertaken by Qantas during 2002, 7.2 per cent
failed," Mr Askew said. "Of the 66 international
access penetration tests undertaken by Qantas, 12.1
per cent failed." 

Mr Askew told the committee in November that the tests
could involve Qantas inspectors trying to get access
to the apron through an open freight terminal. 

The Qantas figures were revealed as a Senate estimates
committee heard that Airservices Australia would
reopen safety investigations into contentious airspace
changes because its reliance on the safety work done
by third parties had put it at risk. 

Airservices chief executive Bernie Smith told the
hearing in Canberra that the air traffic control
authority had formed the view that it might not have
discharged all its responsibilities towards the
National Airspace System under the relevant
legislation. "The nature of the gap in our process
relates firstly to the extent to which Airservices may
have relied on the work of other parties - the Civil
Aviation Safety Authority, the Aviation Reform Group
and the national Airspace Implementation Group as
examples - rather than its own comprehensive research
and analysis," Mr Smith said. 

Mr Smith said Airservices was commissioning a review
of the safety premises underpinning the NAS reform. It
would also undertake a more extensive risk analysis of
the changes implemented last year. 



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