Australian flight diversion highlights passenger confusion

Gavin Lipsith

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A flight diverted from Sydney to Brisbane yesterday almost resulted in a riot as a result of Australia’s tough stance on liquids security, according to local reports

Reports of chaos caused when an international flight was diverted from Sydney to Brisbane yesterday serve to highlight the difficulties facing the travel-retail trade as it aims to clear confusion over liquids security measures. According to local reports passengers on the plane, diverted because of fog, almost started a riot when asked to disembark at Brisbane, meaning they would lose their duty-free purchases under Australia’s “last port of call” regulation requiring rescreening for all passengers at their penultimate destination.

The Courier-Mail reported that passengers on board the United Airlines flight were desperate to disembark during the nine-hour wait for the last leg of their journey to Sydney. But airline and airport staff warned them that they would lose duty-free liquids purchases, causing “something akin to a riot”. Eventually the airline and ground handlers got around the problem by collecting and labelling bottles, then placing them in the aircraft’s hold.

The story emphasises the confusion wreaked by new security laws – particularly by Australia’s tough stance of demanding gate delivery for all liquid purchases at the airport of origin, and “last port of call” rescreening.