Alert Darwin

[tinpis]

Was an alert last night in good old Darwin.
Everyone held up unable to leave airport Mate said they was buggered about with for four hours.
Any news/goss?

[putytat]

No, but speaking english would help!

[DeBurcs]

Was it the bloody Indons...???

[Capt Claret]

Tin

News reports did not reflect my experience, arriving DRW about 0030.

On arrival on blox, the captain advised that there was a security issue and once arrangments were in place we'd be able to disembark.

We sat on the aircraft for perhaps 10 minutes before stairs were driven to the aircraft, pax disembarked and were marshalled east along the new covered walk-way, to go landside down near the tower, where busses took us to Darwin Airport Resort.

Luggage was brought to the resort, one grabbed one's bag, hailed a cab, and gone. I reckon the baggage claim seemed quicker than from the terminal!

No friends allowed into airport precinct to collect pax. Either one hailed a cab, or walked.

[GoGirl]

This, from the ABC news....


ABC News online (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1483017.htm)


Police probe Darwin airport security threat
Northern Territory police are investigating a security threat that forced the closure of the Darwin International Airport overnight.

Police evacuated the airport and closed all access roads at about 9:30pm ACST after an airline received a threatening telephone call.

The airport was closed for more than three hours during a peak traffic period, causing significant delays to passengers travelling to and from Darwin.

Darwin watch commander Bob Harrison says the airport had to be closed to allow enough time to search the area.

"Because of the nature of the threat and because it's such a large area, we had to be very sure before we let people back into the area that it has been thoroughly searched and it's been cleared," he said.

"And we're not going to do anything half-hearted, we're going to do it thoroughly, so that's why it took so long."

Passengers who were left stranded by last night's closure say they were frustrated at a lack of information provided and a lack of water.

Many people were left waiting on roads heading into the airport while the airport was cleared.



GG

[OpsNormal]

Bomb Hoax - ABC News online (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1483572.htm)

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Text of the story:

The Northern Territory Police Minister says he will be seeking a full briefing from police about a bomb threat that closed Darwin Airport for three hours on Friday evening.

Passengers stranded on roads heading into the airport say their situation was made worse by a lack of information about what was happening.

They have also complained that no water was provided as temperatures at the time of the incident passed 30 degrees.

Paul Henderson says there could be some lessons to come from the incident, but he first wants a full briefing.

"I've had an interim briefing by police but police obviously take any allegation of a security threat to our airports very seriously," he said.

"It's certainly better to be safe than sorry and I've got every confidence the police did a good job.

"They couldn't clear the airport until they were actually certain that no such device existed."
---------------------------------

[Capt Claret]

Tin

A friend who works in the media told me last night that the aircraft I was on might well have been the only one where pax were allowed to disembark.

I wonder if the fact that the NT Chief Magistrate and the Police Commissioner were pax on board had anything to do with this decision?

oops, i before e except after c! :rolleyes:

[tinpis]

Nah....Clarrie ...I wouldnt for a minute think that...:hmm: