News
Australia adds extra screening for flights from Gulf
April 7th 2017
Australia has started conducting additional security checks on passengers flying directly from Muslim-majority countries in the Middle East to prevent security threats. Read More »
The extra screenings follow similar measures introduced by Britain and the U.S. last month, but do not include the bans on electronic devices in the cabins of passenger flights.
"In response to national security advice, the Federal Government has made precautionary changes and instructed airlines to implement new protocols from next week," said Australia’s transport minister, Darren Chester, although he said there was “no specific threat to Australia”.
"Explosive detection screening will be conducted for randomly selected passengers and their baggage. Checks may include targeted screening of electronic devices," Chester said.
The decision added to inconsistencies in security measures between countries. Four countries on the U.S. list – the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait and Morocco – are absent from U.K. restrictions. Australia’s list only includes the UAE and Qatar and affects passengers travelling to Australia from Abu Dhabi, Doha and Dubai.
The U.S. and UK measures have been questioned by industry leaders, including IATA director-general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, who said the carry-on bans created severe commercial distortions and were not acceptable long-term solutions.
Emirates and Etihad fly double daily to Sydney and Melbourne. Qantas Airways sends an A380 each day to Dubai from both Sydney and Melbourne and Qatar Airways flies daily to Sydney. Direct flights into Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are equally affected.
