Serious security breaches at Australian airports
There are calls for a Senate Inquiry following a 7News investigation that revealed guns, knives, pepper spray, Tasers and other weapons are making it on board Australian flights.
7News has obtained evidence of hundreds of security breaches that also reveal how easily people can gain access to secure areas, even the tarmac.
Using Freedom of Information laws, 7News obtained documents and photos from the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development, which oversees Australia's airports.
They detail 282 security breaches between January 2012 and April 2014.
“This is a staggering revelation," said Geoffrey Thomas, an Aviation expert and former pilot.
"I've never seen a list like this and its deeply disturbing that this is happening in Australia where we have possibly kidded ourselves that we have very secure airports because clearly they're not."
“You could unleash a tragedy."
A loaded Ruger piston arrived on an international flight in December 2012. It was in the passenger’s hand luggage when he transferred to a domestic flight undetected. He surrendered it to police days later.
On another flight, one of many Tasers was found in an overhead locker by the cabin crew. More Tasers were confiscated from passengers arriving from overseas.
A pair of garden shears was found in a seat pocket earlier this year. Scanner failure even allowed one man to take his archery bow into the terminal.
“I think it's absolutely critical that the Australian public is assured that everything is being done to make sure Australians are safe when they get on a plane,” said Nick Xenophon, the Independent Senator from South Australia.
It is impossible to know how many guns, knives, cans of pepper spray and Tasers actually make it on board aircraft. Then, there are the hundreds of security breaches in terminals and on tarmacs.
One employee, after they resigned, used an Airport Security Identification Card 50 times to access secure areas.
Dozens of people jumped, crashed through and cut their way into security perimeter fencing, making it on to the tarmac and hangars.
“It's very disturbing, very troubling, and again it's something that our authorities have got to look far more carefully at, to make our system far more robust than it is at the moment,” Thomas said.
Several parked cars were found at airports with explosive material; one with pipes connected by wires to a mobile phone.
Perhaps the most extraordinary security breach came when someone procured the security pin code for the Cockpit of a passenger plane which they then posted on Facebook.
“You've got the security code you can get in there; you can take over the airplane. That is extremely dangerous,” Thomas said.
Many sharp blades made it onto planes, from razor blades to small and large knives and lots of box cutters.
“When you consider that box cutters were the weapon of choice for the terrorists on 911 then that has pretty chilling implications,” Xenophon said.
After reviewing the documents obtained by 7News, independent Senator Nick Xenophon said urgent action must and will be taken.
“If the Government doesn't give a satisfactory explanation to the people of Australia on this, there will need to be a Senate Inquiry and I'll be pushing very hard for that to occur,” Senator Xenophon said.
Making airports safe is a mammoth undertaking. More than five million passengers pass through our domestic airports each year plus nearly three million international flyers.
“I sincerely hope that this report, this revelation, will be a wake-up call to authorities that their fool proof system is not fool-proof,” Thomas said.
Statement from Office of Warren Truss, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development
How concerned is Mr Truss by the 282 Security Breaches at Australian Airports identified by the Dept of Infrastructure and Regional Development?
Providing the Australian public with safe and secure air travel is an Australian Government priority. The fact that these incidents were detected and reported demonstrates that aviation security is taken very seriously by both Government and industry in Australia. It is unfortunate that these incidents occurred, however they must be considered in the context of the significant numbers of passengers that travel daily through our Australian airports. To put this in perspective, in 2013/14, 4.8 million people travelled on a domestic flight per month or 57.6 million per annum. In addition, 2.6 million people travelled per month or 31.2 million per annum on an international flight either to or from Australia. The fact that there have been no major security incidents in Australia to date is also evidence that strong arrangements are in place at Australian airports to detect, prevent and respond to acts of terrorism and other acts of unlawful interference with aviation.
What action is Mr Truss taking to address these concerns?
The Government operates a system of continuous monitoring and review of aviation security. All incidents are reviewed by the Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and, where necessary, follow up action is taken. In the case of the incidents included in the FOI release, action was taken at the time of the incident to identify the cause of any system failure and, where appropriate, implement measures to remedy the situation.
How safe are Australians and visitors travelling by air?
Australia has one of the safest aviation records in the world. In 2013/14 alone the industry experienced approximately 88 million passenger movements into, out of and around the country without a single major security incident.
Senator Xenophon has committed to a Senate Inquiry into these security breaches... does Mr Truss support this and why?
Australia’s aviation security framework is under continuous review to ensure that the system addresses potential risks, and remains responsive to changing threats to the Australian aviation industry.
News break - November 10
