Wirraway
7th Sep 2004, 16:31
Wed "The Australian"
Qantas security put to the test
By Steve Creedy
September 08, 2004
THE word "BOB" brought a United Airlines jumbo jet back to Sydney and shut down airspace across the eastern seaboard when it was found scrawled across a sick bag on a flight to Los Angeles in July.
But even the more explicit "bomb", found written in an aircraft toilet with an arrow pointing to a waste receptacle, failed to excite security experts at Qantas's Sydney headquarters last month.
Instead, airline officials told flight attendants on a Sydney-bound flight to try to remove the word, and later left surprised crew waiting for security that never arrived.
The Qantas approach contrasted with United's decision to backtrack almost 1000km and evacuate passengers because of worries that "BOB" could stand for bomb on board rather than the more likely best on board, a joke often shared among flight attendants about the best-looking passenger on the flight.
The August 28 Qantas incident saw a passenger on QF2 from Bangkok alert crew that the word bomb with an arrow pointing to the waste-disposal flap had been found in a business-class toilet.
The aircraft was about 90 minutes from Sydney when the passenger raised the alarm and the crew immediately blocked off the toilet before ringing the aircraft's captain.
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Qantas security put to the test
By Steve Creedy
September 08, 2004
THE word "BOB" brought a United Airlines jumbo jet back to Sydney and shut down airspace across the eastern seaboard when it was found scrawled across a sick bag on a flight to Los Angeles in July.
But even the more explicit "bomb", found written in an aircraft toilet with an arrow pointing to a waste receptacle, failed to excite security experts at Qantas's Sydney headquarters last month.
Instead, airline officials told flight attendants on a Sydney-bound flight to try to remove the word, and later left surprised crew waiting for security that never arrived.
The Qantas approach contrasted with United's decision to backtrack almost 1000km and evacuate passengers because of worries that "BOB" could stand for bomb on board rather than the more likely best on board, a joke often shared among flight attendants about the best-looking passenger on the flight.
The August 28 Qantas incident saw a passenger on QF2 from Bangkok alert crew that the word bomb with an arrow pointing to the waste-disposal flap had been found in a business-class toilet.
The aircraft was about 90 minutes from Sydney when the passenger raised the alarm and the crew immediately blocked off the toilet before ringing the aircraft's captain.
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