Passengers to Expect Nationwide Airport Delays After Sydney Bomb Scare

Australian passengers should expect to experience delays when going through airport security after a potential terror threat was prevented on Saturday, with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull confirming that anti-terror raids in Sydney ‘“disrupted” an attempt to bring down a plane with an “improvised device”’.

While addressing media on Sunday, Prime Minister Turnbull said, “Some of the measures will be obvious to the public, some will not be. Travellers should be prepared for additional scrutiny at screening points”.

According to reports, the thwarted Sydney attack occurred when Australian Federal Police raided five homes in four Sydney Suburbs— Surry Hills, Lakemba, Wiley Park, and Punchbowl— and arrested four men in possession of materials that could be used to make a homemade bomb.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Andrew Colvin said police believed it was “Islamic-inspired terrorism”, that ‘a considerable amount of material was seized by police’ and that ‘four raids were still ‘ongoing’’.

“We anticipate they will be ongoing for many hours, if not days”, he continued, “This is the start of a very long and protracted investigation”.

As a result of these raids, security at all major Australian airports has been increased, with passengers being told to expect two-hour delays when checking-in and when going through airport security for domestic flights and three-hours for international flights.

Additionally, airlines such as Jetstar and Virgin Australia, have also advised passengers to limit carry-on and checked baggage to make the screening process more efficient.

Furthermore, TasALERT— Tasmania’s official emergency response information source— issued their own statement on Facebook regarding the increased security measures.