NZ airports to test passengers for explosives
Reports from New Zealand say that all passengers leaving New Zealand airports for international destinations are about to be tested for explosives.
American-bound passengers have been tested since late last year but random testing will be extended to all passengers, their carry-on bags and documents by the beginning of August.
Aviation Security Service GM Mark Everitt said luggage was already screened for traces of explosives, but the new state-of-the-art testing equipment would be able to detect a wide range of explosives.
Explosive trace detection would be done randomly on passengers and their carry-on bags after they have passed through x-rays and metal detectors.
He said that under the process a swab would be run across baggage and travel documents, then analysed on the spot by the new equipment.
Mr Everitt said all international passengers leaving New Zealand airports, from Auckland to Queenstown, would be randomly tested from next month but trace detection testing would not delay flight departure times.
The method was widely used overseas where baggage was wiped by security staff with swabs which detected traces of explosives.
About 10 million people were expected to go through security screening at New Zealand’s airports this financial year.
Mr Everitt said American-bound passengers had been tested since August last year after the London bombings when American aviation security services insisted on checks for all flights entering American air space.
“We had to do that to meet American requirements,” Mr Everitt said.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
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