Airport security upgrades slated in federal budget, Dutton confirms

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton says airport security upgrades will be funded in the budget after an alleged plot to put a bomb on a Sydney flight.

Passengers at the domestic airport in Sydney,

Peter Dutton has spoken to Qantas CEO Alan Joyce and other airlines about airport security. (AAP)

The alleged plot to put a bomb on a plane leaving Sydney airport last year has sparked an aviation security announcement in Tuesday's federal budget.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton wouldn't confirm if funding for full body scanners would be provided for airports, but said the alleged bomb plot raised serious concerns.

"We are worried about the settings at our domestic airports," Mr Dutton told reporters on Monday.

"Obviously there is a different security setting at our international airports where we do have full body scanners."




Khaled Mahmoud Khayat, 49, of Lakemba, and Mahmoud Khayat, 33, of Punchbowl, on Friday each pleaded not guilty to two counts of acting in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist attack.

They were allegedly told to smuggle a bomb onto an Etihad plane due to depart from Sydney for Abu Dhabi on July 15 last year.

Mr Dutton has spoken to Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce and other airlines about improving security.

"We know that airports, forecourts within the airports, are targets for terrorist organisations around the world. We have seen that in Europe," Mr Dutton said.

"We've looked at different ways in which we can provide support, particularly to regional airports, but the detail will be held for the budget."


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Published 7 May 2018 11:16am
Updated 7 May 2018 1:26pm


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