Sunday, 21 April 2024
KaitaiaWhangareiDargavilleAucklandThamesTaurangaHamiltonWhakataneRotoruaTokoroaTe KuitiTaumarunuiTaupoGisborneNew PlymouthNapierHastingsDannevirkeWhanganuiPalmerston NorthLevinParaparaumuMastertonWellingtonMotuekaNelsonBlenheimWestportReeftonKaikouraGreymouthHokitikaChristchurchAshburtonTimaruWanakaOamaruQueenstownDunedinGoreInvercargill
NZ HeraldThe Northern AdvocateThe Northland AgeThe AucklanderWaikato HeraldBay Of Plenty TimesRotorua Daily PostHawke's Bay TodayWhanganui ChronicleThe Stratford PressManawatu GuardianKapiti NewsHorowhenua ChronicleTe Awamutu CourierVivaEat WellOneRoofDRIVEN Car GuideThe CountryPhoto SalesiHeart RadioRestaurant Hub
Voyager 2023 media awards
Subscribe
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Airport to review security after 'idiotic' plane tampering

Matthew Backhouse
By
Matthew Backhouse
2 Dec, 2011 02:29 AM3 mins to read
Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
An incident on an Air New Zealand 50 seat Bombardier Q300 is being investigated by police. Photo / BOP Times

An incident on an Air New Zealand 50 seat Bombardier Q300 is being investigated by police. Photo / BOP Times

Kapiti Coast Airport will review security after an Air Nelson plane was tampered with on the tarmac, forcing the cancellation of two flights.

Police say the attempt to break in to the plane overnight was likely an "idiotic, expensive prank''.

The attempt caused an emergency landing device on the Air Nelson plane to inflate but the offenders were not able to enter the 50-seat plane, which was parked on an apron off the airstrip.

Kapiti Coast Airport chief executive Steve Bootten said the offenders were "absolutely senseless''.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"All this is doing is adding a huge cost to the aviation infrastructure.''

The airport would review its security procedures, he said.

"Obviously we need to have a rethink and we need to sit down with our partners, Air Nelson, and determine what their requirements are and what we can reasonably do to further enhance the security,'' he told APNZ.

"The reality is a determined vandal is going to cut through fences or get over fences or disable just about anything, really.''

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Mr Bootten said the airport's security measures were comparable to any other airport of a similar size in New Zealand.

"That's not to say that we don't need to look at ways that we can reasonably make further enhancements, and we will be most certainly doing that.''

The incident follows other airport break-ins over the last 18 months, including one in which people siphoned off aviation fuel from aero club aircraft.

Four people were arrested over that incident.

Related articles

World

Kiwi pilot recovering after Indonesia plane crash

24 Nov 06:45 PM
New Zealand|Politics

Air NZ defends plane's PM pick-up

24 Nov 09:20 PM
New Zealand|Politics

Air NZ not a 'private tool' for John Key - Goff

25 Nov 01:14 AM
New Zealand

NZ military nearly bombed (NZ) civilian pilot

30 Nov 09:44 PM

Mr Bootten said they were given a light sentence, and greater deterrents were needed.

Senior Sergeant Alasdair Macmillan of Kapiti police said the offenders had tried to force their way in to the Bombadier Q300`s rear emergency exit door between 8pm yesterday and 6am.

That activated a ditching dam - a 30cm long, nitrogen-inflated rubber buffer that keeps water out of the aircraft.

Mr Macmillan said the device frightened off the offenders, "who of course wouldn't be expecting this to inflate - they were just trying to get into the plane''.

Pilots, police and security staff had checked the plane and were confident it had not been otherwise tampered with, Mr Macmillan said.

"There's no rhyme nor reason to it. My supposition is they were just going to see if there was anything they could steal,'' he told APNZ.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It may have been curiosity _ it's a stupid, idiotic, expensive prank or adventure that these people or person has attempted, and we'd certainly like to find who's responsible.''

Mr Macmillan said the offenders could have entered anywhere around the terminal, which is surrounded by a 2.44m security fence and covered by floodlighting overnight.

Police, Air Nelson and the Kapiti Coast Airport are investigating.

Air Nelson general manager Grant Kerr said the incident had disrupted the travel plans of 75 people.

Two flights - NZ8490 from Kapiti to Auckland, and NZ8491 from Auckland to Kapiti - were cancelled while the aircraft was inspected and cleared for flying.

Flights between Kapiti and Auckland began only in October.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I'm sure the residents of Kapiti are as disappointed as I am that someone would do this so soon after the launch of this new route,'' Mr Kerr said.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the airport was not security regulated, which meant security services found at larger airports were not required.

Aircraft security was managed by airlines as part of the requirements to hold an operator certificate under the civil aviation rules.

Saveshare

Share this article

facebookcopy linktwitterlinkedinredditemail
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
New Zealand

Editorial: Inquiry into ACC taxi service concerns should be next cab off the rank

20 Apr 05:00 PM
Premium
New Zealand

'We found it!': Meet the Kiwi DNA detectives helping sick kids around the world

20 Apr 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Morning quiz: In what century did the dodo bird become extinct?

20 Apr 05:00 PM
New Zealand

Sage Ross took his own life in 2022, leaving his whānau devastated

Kids missing school to feed families

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Premium
Editorial: Inquiry into ACC taxi service concerns should be next cab off the rank

Editorial: Inquiry into ACC taxi service concerns should be next cab off the rank

20 Apr 05:00 PM

OPINION: Alarm bells must be ringing after revelations of a cost blowout and shortcomings.

Premium
'We found it!': Meet the Kiwi DNA detectives helping sick kids around the world

'We found it!': Meet the Kiwi DNA detectives helping sick kids around the world

20 Apr 05:00 PM
Morning quiz: In what century did the dodo bird become extinct?

Morning quiz: In what century did the dodo bird become extinct?

20 Apr 05:00 PM
Sage Ross took his own life in 2022, leaving his whānau devastated

Sage Ross took his own life in 2022, leaving his whānau devastated

Real NZ Mountains: The new ski season beckons
sponsored

Real NZ Mountains: The new ski season beckons

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
  • Bundle subscriptions
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2024 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP