Wirraway
24th Nov 2004, 14:14
Thurs "The Australian"
$70m airport X-ray not ready for new year deadline
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
November 25, 2004
THE nation's biggest airport will have to manually screen international checked baggage because a $70 million automated X-ray screening system will not be ready by a January 1 deadline.
A Sydney airport spokeswoman confirmed yesterday the project would not be ready until early next year.
"We're not going to have the electronic system in place," she said. "We will meet the requirement of 100 per cent screening, but some of it it will have to be done manually."
The spokeswoman blamed the delay on difficulties with suppliers, saying demand was high as airports moved to meet the screening federal government deadline. It was also taking longer because Sydney was bigger and busier than other airports.
But she did not believe the manual processing would cause delays for passengers.
Checked bags from Sydney are already 100 per cent screened to some destinations, notably the US, and random checks are made on other flights.
Sydney will be the only one of the big three airports not to have an automated checked bag screening system running by the Australian deadline, which is 12 months ahead of a global requirement set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Brisbane airport's $15 million checked bagged system went live this week and Melbourne airport officially commissioned yesterday a $13 million system it had been running since October.
The Melbourne system increases screening capacity five-fold with two machines that can each handle 1500 bags per hour.
"For passengers it means bags are screened automatically, and not manually, which will remove potential delays as a result of manual checking," said Melbourne airport chief executive Chris Barlow.
"Airlines are pleased with the new automated facility because delays mean time, and time means money."
Some smaller airports may also initially screen bags manually but the industry has guaranteed that all departing international bags will be checked by the January 1 deadline.
"Some will be doing it different to others but all will be consistent by the ICAO-mandated date of January, 2006," Australian Airports Association chairman John McArdle said.
He said checked baggage screening would ultimately cost the industry and the travelling public $1 billion. The cost included retro-fitting in buildings, equipment provision and staff training.
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AAP
All baggage out of Melbourne now security checked
AAP
November 24, 2004
MELBOURNE: Melbourne Airport is the first in Australia to meet a deadline for 100 per cent screening of all international outbound baggage after commissioning a new automated security system today.
The new $13 million system will cut delays while ensuring all bags are checked for explosives before loading onto international flights.
Previously, random manual bag checks were conducted and a maximum of only 600 bags could be examined per hour.
Now, five times that rate will be X-rayed deep in the bowels of the airport. If doubts remain after three scans, the bag will be opened in the presence of its owner.
The fifth and final stage of the security process would be to isolate the screening area and call the bomb squad.
The new screening machine will be funded by an existing $3.30 per bag charge on airlines.
All carry-on luggage is already automatically screened.
Melbourne is Australia's first international airport to meet stringent new government requirements for 100 per cent baggage screening by the December 31 deadline.
Launching the new system,Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister John Anderson revealed there were doubts whether all Australian international airports would meet the deadline.
"They will effectively all have the security arrangements that satisfy the government's needs in place," Mr Anderson said.
"There may be some need at some airports for further fine-tuning of that, but I believe that we'll have the essential security arrangements in place that we need by the 31st of December."
Mr Anderson conceded Sydney and Adelaide airports would have to work "very hard" to meet Australia's ambitious deadline which was 12 months ahead of that required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
"Screening of all checked baggage on international flights is an important measure to raise the confidence of the travelling public as well as aviation industry employees," Mr Anderson said.
"We also have work in progress to expand domestic checked baggage screening beyond the sort of capacity Melbourne is demonstrating today."
AAP
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$70m airport X-ray not ready for new year deadline
Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
November 25, 2004
THE nation's biggest airport will have to manually screen international checked baggage because a $70 million automated X-ray screening system will not be ready by a January 1 deadline.
A Sydney airport spokeswoman confirmed yesterday the project would not be ready until early next year.
"We're not going to have the electronic system in place," she said. "We will meet the requirement of 100 per cent screening, but some of it it will have to be done manually."
The spokeswoman blamed the delay on difficulties with suppliers, saying demand was high as airports moved to meet the screening federal government deadline. It was also taking longer because Sydney was bigger and busier than other airports.
But she did not believe the manual processing would cause delays for passengers.
Checked bags from Sydney are already 100 per cent screened to some destinations, notably the US, and random checks are made on other flights.
Sydney will be the only one of the big three airports not to have an automated checked bag screening system running by the Australian deadline, which is 12 months ahead of a global requirement set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
Brisbane airport's $15 million checked bagged system went live this week and Melbourne airport officially commissioned yesterday a $13 million system it had been running since October.
The Melbourne system increases screening capacity five-fold with two machines that can each handle 1500 bags per hour.
"For passengers it means bags are screened automatically, and not manually, which will remove potential delays as a result of manual checking," said Melbourne airport chief executive Chris Barlow.
"Airlines are pleased with the new automated facility because delays mean time, and time means money."
Some smaller airports may also initially screen bags manually but the industry has guaranteed that all departing international bags will be checked by the January 1 deadline.
"Some will be doing it different to others but all will be consistent by the ICAO-mandated date of January, 2006," Australian Airports Association chairman John McArdle said.
He said checked baggage screening would ultimately cost the industry and the travelling public $1 billion. The cost included retro-fitting in buildings, equipment provision and staff training.
===========================================
AAP
All baggage out of Melbourne now security checked
AAP
November 24, 2004
MELBOURNE: Melbourne Airport is the first in Australia to meet a deadline for 100 per cent screening of all international outbound baggage after commissioning a new automated security system today.
The new $13 million system will cut delays while ensuring all bags are checked for explosives before loading onto international flights.
Previously, random manual bag checks were conducted and a maximum of only 600 bags could be examined per hour.
Now, five times that rate will be X-rayed deep in the bowels of the airport. If doubts remain after three scans, the bag will be opened in the presence of its owner.
The fifth and final stage of the security process would be to isolate the screening area and call the bomb squad.
The new screening machine will be funded by an existing $3.30 per bag charge on airlines.
All carry-on luggage is already automatically screened.
Melbourne is Australia's first international airport to meet stringent new government requirements for 100 per cent baggage screening by the December 31 deadline.
Launching the new system,Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister John Anderson revealed there were doubts whether all Australian international airports would meet the deadline.
"They will effectively all have the security arrangements that satisfy the government's needs in place," Mr Anderson said.
"There may be some need at some airports for further fine-tuning of that, but I believe that we'll have the essential security arrangements in place that we need by the 31st of December."
Mr Anderson conceded Sydney and Adelaide airports would have to work "very hard" to meet Australia's ambitious deadline which was 12 months ahead of that required by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
"Screening of all checked baggage on international flights is an important measure to raise the confidence of the travelling public as well as aviation industry employees," Mr Anderson said.
"We also have work in progress to expand domestic checked baggage screening beyond the sort of capacity Melbourne is demonstrating today."
AAP
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