Australia: Government to upgrade security measures at airports

Event

Australian authorities announced on Tuesday, May 15, the deployment of additional security measures at airports throughout the country. The government will spend 294 million Australian dollars (222 million USD) to improve security at all major city airports and 13 regional airports. Equipment improvements will include body scanners and advanced X-ray machines to screen passengers and baggage. There will also be 140 new police trained to detect improvised explosive devices assigned to airports. Also under the new measures, police will be given new powers to check people’s identities at airports and detain anyone suspected of criminal activity.

Context

In July 2017, an attempt was made to check a bag that allegedly contained military-grade explosives onto an Etihad Airways flight headed to the Middle East. The bag was rejected because it was overweight, and the plot wasn’t discovered until several weeks later when it was attributed to the Islamic State group.

Advice

Individuals traveling through Australian airports are advised to anticipate heightened security measures, obey all instructions issued by security personnel, and report any suspicious activity or behavior to the local authorities.