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Sydney terror raids: Airport delays expected as security increased over alleged plot
RELATED STORY: Sydney counter-terrorism raids aimed at foiling attacks, PM says
RELATED STORY: Sydney terror raids thwart ‘Islamic-inspired’ plot to bring down plane
MAP: Australia
Australian travellers are facing major delays at airports after security measures were ramped up following the discovery of an alleged terror plot involving a plane.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said authorities uncovered and disrupted a terror plot to bring down an aircraft using an “improvised device”.
PHOTO: Passengers are being advised to arrive at least two hours before domestic flights and three hours before international. (ABC News: Ewan Gilbert)
International and domestic passengers have been advised to allow extra time for screening and to limit their carry-on and checked baggage, but there have been no official changes to baggage restrictions.
Transport Minister Darren Chester said additional security measures had been put in place at all major Australian airports in coordination with counter terrorism raids in Sydney last night.
“Some of these measures will be obvious to the travelling public, other will not. The increased measures will include additional checks of cabin and checked baggage,” Mr Chester said.
PHOTO: This was the scene on approach to Sydney airport about 10:00am today. (Facebook: Wayne Green)
At Adelaide and Sydney airports, some passengers reported delays of up to 90 minutes before passing through security.
ABC journalist Ewan Gilbert was at Sydney’s international terminal this morning, and said the effects of additional security measures were noticeable even before reaching the terminal building.
“Police on motorbikes are slowly patrolling up and down the long queues of cars, peering into every window,” he said.
“Once inside the terminal it’s certainly busy at the check-in desks, but it’s once you get through to security that the authorities are warning to again expect long waits.”
Are you experiencing major delays due to increased security measures? We want to hear from you. Contact ABC News
One overseas traveller who spoke to the ABC was unaware of the Sydney terrorism raids, but said he had gone through some extra checks.
What we know so far
Anti-terrorism raids in Sydney on Saturday related to a threat to bring down a plane with an “improvised device”. Here’s what we know so far.
When told the reason for the increased security and asked if it worried him, he replied “it concerns us, but we won’t stop for it”.
Other travellers said they were concerned by the alleged plot, but put their faith in officials.
“Absolutely we’re concerned but we’re hoping that they’ve got them and ASIO and the Federal Police keep up the exceptional work they’re doing,” one passenger said.
“They caught the people who they thought were going to do it so it’s good now, I guess,” another passenger said.
In Adelaide, tertiary student Liam Thompson said people were waiting in long queues just to reach the designated screening areas.
All passengers are being required to remove their jackets during the screening process and he described hearing more frequent public announcements and heightened police presence.
‘Bomb checks at the front door’
While it appeared to be business as usual at Brisbane Airport this morning, passengers on inbound flights said they had noticed increased security measures.
What are the security measures?
ANALYSIS: Dr John Coyne, Head of Border Security Program at Australian Strategic Policy Institute
If you listen between the lines they say ‘some things you’ll see, some things you won’t’.
OK you need to be there two hours early for a domestic flight so things we can expect [include] more people are going to get searched in the primary security line and more people swabbed for explosives.
The PM said they should closely examine what they’re bringing on board, so [that means] additional checks of hand luggage.
I saw reports of higher AFP presence at Sydney airport. A higher physical presence, that’s part of the security theatre as well.
The Government has duty to say ‘continue your life, we’re doing something about this’.
But also if there are similar plots, [they’re thinking] how do we stop them accelerating plans? And increased presence helps.
There will be an increased number of operators, they’ll be looking closer, more people watching from control rooms.
There is a risk threshold — you can’t stop everyone.
But on days like this what they’ll do is they will slow down travellers, they’ll pull up more people, interview more people and search more bags.
Jacob Pickering got off a flight from Sydney and said he was delayed by up to an hour because of explosives checks.
“They were checking every three to four to five bags. [We were] probably there 45 minutes to an hour to get through check-in to get to the plane,” he said.
Marilyn Marsh-Booth arrived in Brisbane from Cairns this morning, and said every third person checking in to the flight was targeted.
“There were guys coming up to random people in the queue and getting them to check inside their bags,” she said.
“This was quite different. Every third or fourth person which was quite a lot.”
Nicole Burns flew the same route and said the extra security was immediately noticeable.
“When we entered Cairns airport this morning, the bomb checks were at the front door, so we had to get checked before we even entered the airport,” she said.
Security screening at Melbourne Airport did not appear to be delaying customers.
At the X-ray point where carry-on luggage is screened, it appeared two staff members were viewing the screen before the luggage was passed back to the passenger.
At the Virgin terminal, there was a makeshift desk set up for an explosives check at the bag drop point.
