Review of Aviation Security Screening

In 2008, the Australian Government conducted a comprehensive Review of Aviation Security Screening. The Review had a number of catalysts, including the need for analysis and review of the legislative framework, the long-term growth in tourism and the aviation sector, expansion of the security regime to smaller industry participants, labour market pressures impacting recruitment and retention of screening staff, and more recent changes to legislation, including the introduction of liquids, aerosols and gels screening and the introduction of 100 per cent checked baggage screening to a number of domestic airports.

The broad objectives of the Review were:

• to ensure that the security outcome from Australian aviation security screening is agreed and clearly articulated;
• to ensure that the approach to and delivery of Australian aviation security screening is nationally consistent;
• to ensure that the regulatory regime is appropriate to the agreed security outcome, and
• to ensure Australian aviation security screening operates in a manner which achieves the agreed security outcome in an efficient and effective manner.

The Review examined a range of issues affecting aviation security screening, including the purpose of screening, service delivery and performance, national consistency, passenger experience, human factors, screening point design, the regulatory environment and the role of various technologies in the screening process.

In April 2009, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon Anthony Albanese MP, authorised the release of the report of the Review of Aviation Security Screening.  The Government has given priority to many of the recommendations of the Review through the Aviation White Paper - Flight Path to the Future released in December 2009.

• Download the executive summary from the report of the Review of Aviation Security Screening [PDF: 436 KB]
• Download the recommendations from the report of the Review of Aviation Security Screening [PDF: 448 KB]
• Download the report of the Review of Aviation Security Screening [PDF: 1630 KB]