03 October 2004
By TONY WALL and AMIE RICHARDSON
A Sunday Star-Times investigation has exposed alarming holes in our airport security - and a world terrorism expert is urging the government to plug the gaps.
Reporters carrying box cutters in their cabin baggage boarded aircraft at seven New Zealand airports last week.
Once on board, the reporters offered to hand over the box cutters - similar to those used to control cabin crew in the September 11 attacks in 2001 - to the crew, but on several occasions were told not to. One flight attendant said: "Don't worry, we won't tell anyone," while another said "no problem, we get scissors and all sorts on these flights".
Our reporters flew Air New Zealand flights last Tuesday and Wednesday on return routes between Auckland and New Plymouth, Auckland and Palmerston North, Wellington and Napier and Christchurch and Invercargill.
Our investigation suggests glaring inconsistencies in aviation security at airports around the country are leaving passengers and crew on many domestic routes vulnerable to potential terrorist activity.
etc, etc, etc
see:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundays...4a6005,00.html for more "Great" reporting.
