Long check-in wait times to hit Tasmanians

TASMANIAN passengers flying out of Melbourne to international destinations are among those hit with longer times for check-in amid security clampdowns.

The new measures introduced nationwide yesterday apply to all domestic and international travel.

Melbourne Airport reported no major issues yesterday with passengers grateful that extra precautions had been introduced.

But domestic travellers are being advised to arrive two hours before their scheduled flights, and international passengers three hours prior, to allow time for enhanced screening processes.

Passengers in Melbourne yesterday said airlines warned them ahead of time and they weren’t bothered by the extended check-in process.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull described the measures, which began at Sydney Airport on Thursday before being extended across Australia, as an “intensifying” of current arrangements.

“Some of that will be visible, some of it will not be visible, but it will take more time,” Mr Turnbull said.

Travellers should limit baggage where possible, he said.

Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin warned passengers: “You can expect longer delays to make sure that more screening is being done on baggage, both hold luggage as well as hand luggage.”

Mr Turnbull announced extra security measures were put in place at Sydney airport last Thursday and extended to all major airports on Saturday night.

He warned travellers to arrive early because of “additional scrutiny” – more cabin and checked baggage inspections – including more bomb swab tests.

“They should limit the amount of carry-on and checked baggage so far as possible, as this will help to ensure that security screening is efficient,” Mr Turnbull said.

Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Darren Chester said the additional security measures were based on advice from security and law enforcement agencies.

“These additional measures complement the security ar- rangements already in place and are being applied as an extra precaution,” Mr Chester said.

There have been no changes to what can and cannot be carried on board.

Anti-terror security experts had praise for Australia’s intelligence agencies for allegedly foiling what they described as a “sophisticated” plot, but warned “gaps still exist”.

“You need more ID to get into your local club or library than to get on a domestic plane,” aviation security consultant Roger Henning said.

“It is not accurate for the Prime Minister to say that all the things that need to be done, have been done.”

Mr Henning, chief executive officer of Homeland Security Asia/Pacific, which consults to governments and corporations around the world about airport security, said potentially dangerous passengers could board under someone else’s name.

He also raised the issue of drones as another “huge threat to civil aviation”.

“There are several ways these plotters could have succeeded. One could have been to use a drone to take out a flight approaching or leaving an airport in Australia,” he said.

“A terrorist with a toothpaste bomb can still bypass all security at every airport in Australia because there are no scanners that detect plastic explosives. None.”

Dr John Coyne, who heads the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Border Security Program, said he was also a supporter of “minimum ID requirements for all flights”.

He said the weekend’s counter measures to eliminate terror threats would give authorities the “chance to analyse potential vulnerabilities”.

“What we have seen in the last 24 hours is a ramping up of security,” Dr Coyne said.

“They’re doing vehicle checks, extra swabs for explosive residue being done.

“The more troubling question for authorities is that the bad guys who want to do this, they reasonably expected they were going to get their bomb, or their device on a plane.

“So that means the authorities have to work out whether these alleged offenders could have got it on the plane and whether there is a bomb ability they need to mitigate.”