An Air NZ flight was allowed to take off from Wellington with a passenger who had evaded screening. Photo / Mark Mitchell
An Air NZ flight was allowed to take off from Wellington with a passenger who had evaded screening. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is investigating a security breach at Wellington Airport and says changes to the screening system may result.
Pilots say they are ‘‘appalled’' by the breach where a passenger - who a pilot union says is a high-profile criminal - evaded screening, exited the screening pointand boarded his flight during the busy holiday period.
‘‘The pilot was not made aware of the incident and departed as usual, with the passenger, a high-profile convicted criminal, and over 100 others on board,’' the NZ Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) says.
The association’s president Andrew Ridling said that the Aviation Security Service (AvSec) “failed to competently execute the very job they are there to undertake” on behalf of the travelling public and its members.
AvSec screens passengers at airports and is part of CAA, the regulator. The association wants an independent inquiry into the performance of AvSec and how it is part of its own auditing body, the CAA.
“The primary concern of AvSec should be passenger and crew safety - public confidence needs to be re-established in this essential government organisation,” said Ridling.
A CAA spokesperson said it happened on December 29.
A Wellington passenger was directed to proceed to the AIT machine (the body scanner) and while waiting for his turn the passenger deliberately evaded screening, exited the screening point and boarded his flight.
When officers working the screening point at that time realised this passenger had not completed testing and had proceeded directly to board the flight, the team leader initiated the security procedure for these types of instances.
‘’AvSec notified the relevant organisations in Auckland. Airport police met the passenger as the aircraft landed and assessed the threat he posed.’’
An Air New Zealand spokesman said the airline was advised only after the flight had departed.
The CAA spokesperson said AvSec conducted a full search of the aircraft and the incident was reported to the CAA as the security regulator and the circumstances are being investigated.
‘‘We have reviewed the CCTV footage of the incident and we are satisfied that the threat of the passenger concealing an item that could pose a threat to aviation safety was low,’' the spokesperson said.
Passengers on this flight did not need to be rescreened.
The CAA has been asked why the plane wasn’t searched before it took off and whether the passenger has been charged.
Under the Crimes Act and Civil Aviation Act passengers who evade screening can be charged. In 2014, then Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee breached the rules, bypassing security to board a plane. He was fined $2000.
The CAA spokesperson said security settings are continually being reviewed and are adapted depending on domestic or worldwide threats and depending on the actions of passengers who are deliberately trying to evade screening. Screening points for passengers could be modified.
‘’Changes may be made due to this incident on December 29.’’
‘‘We are reviewing the incident and ascertaining if we need to take further action under the Crimes Act or the Civil Aviation Act against this passenger (and) change our procedures and processes at screening points.
Ridling, a Dreamliner captain, said AIT scanners are safety-critical and are effective at screening, not just for prohibited and dangerous items, but for non-metallic anomalous items such as powders and other substances that would compromise aircraft safety.
“As soon as the incident occurred on December 29, the sterile area of the Wellington terminal was compromised, and immediate action should have been taken. The risk was potentially posed to all flights and their passengers departing Wellington at that time.
“Further, on arrival at Auckland domestic airport , that sterile area was also compromised,” he said.
It is understood that police were waiting on the airbridge in Auckland to greet the passenger, but no further action was taken.
“This latest incident also underpins why ALPA is continuing to call on the Government to conduct an independent inquiry into the performance of AvSec and how it is part of its own auditing body, the CAA, making it an outlier among the majority of ICAO ( International Civil Aviation Organisation) countries, including the United States.
Board of Airline Representatives (Barnz) executive director Cath O’Brien said the incident exposed serious safety risks.
She said anyone boarding a plane with more than 90 seats was screened.
‘‘We cannot have AvSec not screening all people according to the rules of the regulator.’’
All passengers in the ‘’sterile’’ area after screening should have been re-screened. This happened occasionally due to equipment failure or staff not following protocols. While inconvenient, it was accepted mistakes would happen.
Cath O'Brien, executive director of the Board of Airline Representatives.
Photo / Dean Purcell.
She questioned whether it was possible there was a shortage of staff on December 29, or that inexperienced AvSec staff had not acted.
Like all parts of the aviation industry, AvSec has been looking for staff to plug gaps over the past year.
‘‘I am really curious to know how this happened. What is the debrief and plan to prevent this from happening again? I’m flabbergasted that we are in this position.’'
O’Brien said she was also concerned that it had taken more than two weeks for the incident to come to light. Barnz represents airlines flying to and around NZ and she said the organisation should have been notified, especially after an ICAO audit revealed flaws in security in this county. Last year ICAO raised concerns about security failures that allowed unscreened workers and contractors on to airports in this country.
AvSec has around 1200 workers and screens 5.4 million passengers a year, according to its website - where it is pitching job opportunities.
