Fed: Australia's largest airport defends security

AAP General News (Australia)
12-25-2001
Fed: Australia's largest airport defends security

Eds: Takes in SINGAPORE AIRPORT



By Sharon Labi

SYDNEY, Dec 25 AAP - Australia's largest airport today defended its security measures
after a Qantas passenger was found carrying ammunition in his hand luggage.

A French soldier, who was on his way to Paris from Noumea via Sydney following military
exercises in New Caledonia last week, was detained by security at Singapore's Changi Airport.

In his hand luggage Singapore authorities discovered a bullet which had escaped detection
at Sydney airport, it has been revealed.

But Sydney Airport Corporation spokesman Peter Gibbs said the man was understood to
be a transit passenger in Sydney and may not have even passed through the airport's usual
screening process.

"We have all the appropriate security measures at Sydney Airport to ensure safe and
secure aviation travel," Mr Gibbs told AAP today.

"However, we are always ready to review our procedures with our partner airlines."

He said the matter had been discussed with Qantas and the airline was due to submit
a report to the airport corporation.

Qantas was today refusing to accept or lay blame for the security breach, saying it
had addressed the matter with screening authorities at the airports.

"A passenger was detected at Singapore with a single round of ammunition," a Qantas
spokeswoman said.

"We've addressed the issue with screening authorities in both Sydney and Noumea and
there was no risk to passengers or aircraft at any time because of the incident."

A passenger, who witnessed the incident in Singapore, said airport officials noticed
the bullet as the soldier passed through the security X-ray check to reboard Qantas flight
17 to Paris.

The witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the soldier was allowed to resume
his journey after the plane's captain agreed to allow him back on board.

Singapore police confirmed that they "seized the bullet and the passenger continued
on his journey after a warning was given".

Australian Attorney-General Daryl Williams placed the nation on a higher security alert
for Christmas Day after receiving information Australia could be the target of a terrorist
attack.

Security has been boosted around the nation's airports, but there are no plans to search
passengers' shoes following an incident on an American Airlines flight between Paris and
Miami in which a passenger tried to light explosives hidden in his sneakers.

Mr Gibbs said he believed Sydney Airport had a more thorough method of detecting such
substances than searching shoes.

He said he was confident of all the security measures put in place since the September
11 attacks.

The security breach at Sydney Airport comes as four youths could face charges after
scaling a perimeter fence of the airport on Sunday night.

The Federal Police are compiling a report for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
and are expected to recommended the four be charged on summons with trespassing on Commonwealth
property.

AAP sal/cdh/br

KEYWORD: SINGAPORE AIRPORT AUST

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