Thurs "The Australian"
Missile risk new terror for airlines
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer and Dennis Shanahan, Political editor
September 04, 2003
TERRORISM experts in Australia and the US believe there is a credible threat to passenger aircraft from surface-to-air missiles – and airlines and governments are not taking the risk seriously enough.
A parliamentary committee inquiry into Australia's aviation security will hear today that passengers flying into high-risk airports such as Bangkok stand a bigger chance of being shot down by a missile than of being involved in a September 11-style hijacking.
"The risk to civil aviation is much greater from (surface-to-air missiles) than it is from hijacking," Australian National University terrorism expert Clive Williams said yesterday.
The committee has already received a submission warning that 60 regional airports around Australia will be left more vulnerable to terrorism under proposed changes to air traffic control rules.
Reform of the National Airspace System would allow unidentified aircraft to land without making radio contact with control towers.
The Australian Airport Association says its members are seriously concerned about potential security breaches at airports across Australia, including Mt Isa, Albury, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Lismore, Armidale, Broken Hill, Devonport, Mildura, Mt Gambier, Coffs Harbour and Port Hedland.
The association has told the Government that one aspect of the new airspace system "could create an unintended opportunity to seriously compromise security at certain regional airports".
"The National Airspace System proposal allows access to airports and their airside areas by pilots flying in or out with no mandatory requirement to identify their aircraft or their intentions," the association said.
"At this time of heightened 'security awareness', we find it inconceivable that any government could allow any aircraft on the Australian register into the sky without i) a radio for communication purposes, and ii) a mandatory requirement to use the radio when in the vicinity of an airport."
The parliamentary inquiry into aviation security will hear today a sobering assessment by Dr Williams on the threat posed by terrorists armed with shoulder-fired missi les.
"I think there needs to be a lot more work done on this general area because of the proliferation of surface-to-air missiles and the number of people who have an interest in them," Dr Williams said.
US authorities have investigated several destinations in Southeast Asia because of fears about missile attacks but have not expressed a concern about Australia.
Dr Williams agreed there was little risk of an attack at Australian airports but said Bangkok, a major Qantas hub, was vulnerable on several fronts.
These included the availability of people willing to carry out the mission, and the vulnerability of Bangkok's international airport.
"Particularly because of the amount of arms that are trafficked through Thailand, I would say Bangkok is probably the airport I would have greatest concern about in Southeast Asia," Dr Williams said.
US intelligence agencies estimate there are up to 7000 missiles on the black market and say 27 terrorist groups, including Al-Qa'ida, are armed with the weapons.
Qantas recently reviewed and rejected existing equipment designed to protect aircraft from shoulder-fired missiles as too expensive and of dubious effectiveness.
Qantas spent $180 million on security last year, an increase of 46 per cent.
Dr Williams wants governments from target countries such as Australia, the US, Britain and Israel to combine their efforts and work out the most cost-effective way of protecting aircraft.
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