Australia bound passengers to face screening for explosives

Passengers heading to Australia from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha will undergo extra security screenings for explosives, close on the heels of new security measures imposed by the UK and the US authorities last month.

According to a statement issued by the Australian Minister of Transport, while the Australia-bound passengers from the three GCC cities will be subjected to random screenings, there will be no electronics ban on flights as yet.

Last month, the US and British administrations imposed temporary bans on passengers bringing laptops, ipads, camera and some other electronics on board. However, the UK exempting the UAE from its list.

Darren Chester, Australia’s Transport Minister, said on Sunday that the new security measures will come into effect from April 6.

He said that the step is taken just as a precautionary measure and there was no specific threat to Australia

Chester confimred that the new measures will only affect passengers travelling with Qatar, Emirates and Etihad Airways, urging passengers to contact their airlines for more details.

“In response to national security advice the Federal Government has made precautionary changes and instructed airlines to implement new protocols from next week,” Chester was quoted as saying in media reports.

He added that the explosive detection screening will be conducted for randomly selected passengers, their baggages as well as their electronic devices.

An Emirates spokesperson confirmed the latest security development.

“Emirates can confirm that following new guidelines received from the Australian government, our flights to Australia will be subject to reinforced security measures starting 6 April. The new directive requires additional screening at the gate, but there is no restriction on electronic devices. Passengers travelling from Dubai International Airport to Australia should allow additional time at the gate,” said  the spokesperson.

Confirming the new measures an Etihad Airways spokesperson said: “Following a directive from the Australian government, flights arriving in Australia from certain countries, including the UAE, will be subject to enhanced security screening from April 6, 2017. The new measures are similar to those currently in place on flights to the UK.

source : gulfnews