"Australian airport security chaos"

Sunday, May 23, 2004

Airport security chaos
By Kate Patterson
Australia - The Sunday Mail


AN ELDERLY transit passenger wandering unchecked into a secure area
sparked a scare that threw Brisbane International Airport into chaos
yesterday.

Seven flights were grounded as airport staff and Customs officials were
forced to recheck the travel papers of 1700 passengers. 

Passengers were delayed for two hours by the checks. 

The man, believed to have stopped in Brisbane in transit from Singapore
to Auckland, was allowed through the processing area of the airport
about 9am without any checks. 

Airport corporate relations officer Jim Carden apologised for the delays
but said the action taken was in the best interests of the passengers. 

"As soon as airport staff were aware of the breach they decided it was
better to be safe than sorry," he said. 

"This is something that happens regularly at airports throughout the
world, and it is up to the airport to decide whether to single out the
one passenger or to recheck all people in the area. 

"We decided that the safety and security of the airport was paramount." 

Mr Carden said passengers who experienced delays were happy to
co-operate. 

But passenger Ray Delamotte was not quite so understanding. 

"For someone to be able to come through without being checked is
ridiculous and the airport should be embarrassed that it had to go to
these lengths of unloading seven planes," he said. 

"My concern is that there was a breakdown in the system in times of
terrorism. 

"It is an embarrassment to our country." 

The elderly passenger who caused the disruption was back on his flight
within two hours.


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