[Peetwo]

Chester's regional airport security clusterduck cont/-  

Via the Oz today:

Regional airlines resist moves to ramp up terror security

The Regional Aviation Association has warned against increased security measures in regional airports.

• The Australian
  
• 12:00AM August 11, 2017
  
• EAN HIGGINS
  

Regional airlines have closed ranks to fight any move by Transport Minister Darren Chester to have them step up security following the alleged terror plot to bring down an airliner.

Regional Express has warned against “giving in to hysteria” by requiring more extensive screening of passengers and carry-on bags, saying to do so for “all such potential targets would be so prohibitively expensive and onerous that normal life would be shut down”.

“Smaller regional aircraft carry fewer passengers than most buses and it would be senseless to enforce screening on the former while leaving vulnerable the tens of thousands of buses plying the streets each day,” a Rex statement said.

Regional Aviation Association chief executive Mike Higgins said if the current regulation requiring the screening of passengers on airliners weighing more than 20 tonnes were extended to smaller aircraft, “then the smaller operators will not fly”.

Mr Higgins said he feared the government’s desire to be seen to act could nip in the bud moves by the Office of Transport Security to actually reduce the cost of screening at regional airports.

The pushback follows Mr Chester’s decision last week, revealed by The Australian, to order his departmental secretary to review regional airport security following claims from airline pilots, union leaders and security experts that regionals represent the weak spot in the aviation sector attractive to terrorists.

Mr Higgins said that ironically, the review being carried out by senior OTS official Garth Donovan was looking at options to reduce costs to regional airlines of security screening, and should be almost complete.

Such adjustments could involve not putting all passengers through a walk-through metal detector, but randomly checking some with a handheld device, he said. Similarly, rather than have an X-ray machine screen every piece of carry-on luggage, some bags could be randomly examined by hand.

Mr Higgins said he feared Mr Chester’s desire to be seen to be tough on airport security could push Mr Donovan’s review “to one side”. Mr Donovan declined to comment.

The Australian last week revealed that at Wagga Wagga airport in regional NSW, QantasLink flights to Sydney flying Q400 aircraft that can carry up to 76 passengers have to screen passengers and their carry-on luggage.

However, Rex, which on that route flies Saab 340s that can carry 34 passengers but weigh less than 20 tonnes, is exempt, and passengers can walk unchallenged onto the aircraft.

Mr Higgins said this made sense; “it depends on the risk appetite for the passenger” which airline they flew.

Considerable discussion developed last week about flights from Port Lincoln in South Australia, where screening was removed in 2015 when Qantas put on two Q300 aircraft, which can carry 56 passengers but weigh under 20 tonnes. Qantas spokesman Stephen Moynihan said the motivation was operational efficiency, not security savings.

& from the other side of the cyclone security fence...

Ground crew screen plea ignored

12:00amEAN HIGGINS

The government has passed on a call to require airside staff to go through security screening.

& via a NX MR...

Aviation Security: Loophole Motion Defeated

10 August 2017

HOW SERIOUS IS THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT AIRPORT SECURITY?

Senator Nick Xenophon is gobsmacked the Federal Government and the Opposition today voted down his move to close a loophole which allows some airport staff to avoid mandatory screening.

Baggage handlers, catering and ground service staff with Aviation Security Identification Cards are not subjected to the same screening procedures which apply to passengers, pilots and cabin crew.

" I have great respect for the work that ground crew at airports do, but this loophole fails to pass the most cursory of pub tests” said Nick.

Government , Labor and Greens Senators combined to defeat the motion.

“It's quite disappointing considering the assurances the Government gave after the recent terror-related arrests that security at our airports was being boosted,” Senator Xenophon said.

The Australian Airline Pilots Association (AusALPA), the peak body representing  professional pilots (including commercial airline pilots) has previously raised serious concerns over the inconsistencies in security screening but their alarms constantly been ignored.  

“ Well it's happened again," Nick remarked.

“How can the Government continue to ignore the peak body representing 5000 commercial aircraft pilots?

“ Australian travellers are going to trust the opinion of an experienced pilot over a politician any day when it comes to measures that will improve airline safety.”

Senator Xenophon says he won't be giving up on having the loophole closed.

Link:https://nick.nxtmps.org.au/media/release...-defeated/

MTF...P2