Passengers at one of Australia’s major airports are battling lengthy delays after strict security protocols were activated at the screening checkpoints due to an undisclosed incident.
Footage of the airport terminal just before midday on Wednesday showed queues at the security gates stretching back through the terminal.
Gold Coast Airport said an incident had triggered the safety measures which required passengers to be re-screened.
‘Security protocols were activated at Gold Coast Airport this morning in regards to an isolated incident which involved the requirement to rescreen passengers onboard one flight. Operational delays were experienced as a result,’ a spokesperson said.
‘Gold Coast Airport is working with its airline partners to manage the impact to customers. Operations have resumed however there will be some flight delays as a result.’
Footage from Gold Coast Airport on Wednesday shows queues winding back through the terminal after a security incident sparked the rescreening of passengers (pictured)
Gold Coast Airport is one of the busiest in the country and services more than 6million domestic and international passengers a year
The airport thanked passengers for their patience and said it would ‘endeavour to get them on their way as soon as possible’.
Passengers had initially assumed a computer malfunction was behind the screening area chaos.
‘Well this is a first. Never had an IT failure before at security! This is Gold Coast Airport… the queue is getting bigger by the minute,’ one passenger said.
The Wednesday 2.35pm Qantas and 2.50pm Virgin flights to Sydney from Gold Coast Airport were cancelled.
More to follow.
