Land down underAussies set to relax airport security
A federal government’s white paper sets out a more relaxed blueprint for airport security in Australia; passengers will again be able to take things like nail clippers and knitting needles in carry-on baggage but more checked baggage will be subject to screening and there will be tighter controls on security staff at airports.
Some airport security regulations are set to be relaxed under the Australian federal government’s aviation white paper, which was released the other day. ABC News reports that the white paper sets out the government’s blueprint for the aviation industry through until 2030.
Passengers will again be able to take things like nail clippers and knitting needles in carry-on baggage but more checked baggage will be subject to screening and there will be tighter controls on security staff at airports.
The white paper also sets out tighter planning controls for airports and changes to security requirements for passengers. Capital city airports will be required to have planning coordination forums to guide developments through state and federal regulations. More details will have to be given about proposed changes and community consultation groups will be formed to give local residents a greater say.
The aviation white paper has stopped short of naming a list of potential sites for a second Sydney airport, but it has not ruled out the use of Royal Australian Air Force bases. The paper says it is clear Sydney airport cannot sustain future long-term aviation growth, but it has not come up with any potential sites for a second airport.
It does however say there will be an assessment of existing civil and Defense airport facilities in the region and their capacity to meet the Sydney region’s future aviation requirements. That puts Canberra international airport and the RAAF base at Richmond on the radar as potential overflow airports. It could also include using Defense bases at Nowra on the south coast or at Williamtown, near Newcastle.
The white paper also relaxes the foreign ownership restrictions on Qantas. The government will retain the requirement that all international airlines have majority Australian ownership, but the measures preventing overseas individuals holding more than 25 per cent or foreign airlines owning more than 35 percent of Qantas will be scrapped.
The airline’s David Epstein says it will make it easier for Qantas to form alliances and consolidate with other airlines. “At this stage we don’t have any plans afoot to consolidate directly with other international airline companies,” he said. “At the moment the global aviation industry is pretty tough. “Yes we’ve had conversations with other airlines in the past, yes we’ve always said we’re open to a conversation, but we don’t have any plans afoot.”
