The Civil Aviation Authority has condemned a newspaper stunt involving a reporter boarding a plane at the country's biggest airport carrying a knife and a fake revolver.
Just 24 hours after two pilots were stabbed in an attempted hijack over Marlborough, a Sunday News reporter told yesterday how
he was able to breach security at Auckland Airport.
The reporter arrived at the domestic terminal on Saturday for the 10.30am Air New Zealand flight to Napier, carrying the kitchen knife, with a 20cm blade, and a toy firearm in hand luggage.
He said there were no checks and "I was free to walk on with anything I pleased".
"After checking in and simply presenting my boarding pass at the gate, I stepped on to NZ5751 for the 50-minute journey to Hawkes Bay."
The authority's communications manager, Bill Sommer, yesterday dismissed the stunt as "irresponsible and illegal".
The reporter's action could have compromised the safety of other passengers and could have led to aircraft delays.
But he refused to say if he felt the reporter should face prosecution, saying that was a matter for the CAA's enforcement unit and police.
Air NZ did not return calls yesterday.
The Aviation Security Service says passenger luggage in aircraft containing fewer than 90 seats is not screened.
Smaller airports also have no facilities for screening passengers.
National Party leader John Key said that with the sophisticated security systems in place at Auckland Airport's domestic terminal, it was "unsatisfactory" that a revolver and knife could be taken on to an aircraft.
But he said caution should be exercised when reacting to Friday's incident during which a woman stabbed two pilots and a passenger.
"Clearly public safety is paramount but we need to see if there is a systemic problem," Mr Key told the Sunday News.
Asha Ali Abdille, from Blenheim, appeared in the Christchurch District Court on Saturday charged with attempted hijacking, wounding, and injuring with intent to injure.
She was remanded in custody until February 22 for psychiatric reports.
Abdille allegedly pulled out a knife on Friday's flight between Blenheim and Christchurch and demanded to be taken to Australia.
A scuffle developed during which the pilot, co-pilot and a passenger were injured.
- NZPA
