QantasLink Dash-8 Security Breach?

[samh004]

On the news tonight channel 9 reported on a serious security issue with the coughpit doors of the dash-8’s in the QantasLink fleet. They showed vision (blurred) of a locked coughpit door being opened with relatively little trouble.

I can’t find any news articles, but assumed from the way they presented the news it was breaking news for them and they were getting the scoop.

Anyone know anything about it?

 

[liamras]

Just saw that, I flew a Q400 to LRE on the weekend and back. Didn't notice any problems with the door. I saw an old man think it was the bathroom and the door certainley was locked.

Proabley just chanel 9 looking to bash QF.

 

[samh004]

My impression from the story was the engineers wanted some leverage again, so released something that no one other than them probably knew about. In essence, they’ve probably endangered people by telling all, how useful.

Someone needs to be sacked, to drive the message home.

But I do wonder if the problem really is that great. The video made it seem easy to get through the door, but the door is in plain sight is it not?

I wont be happy if their fleet is grounded in the next few weeks, as I need one of their planes to get to LRE!

And I still can’t find a news story or video online, so you’ll all just have to take my word for it that it’s a real news story

 

[liamras]

I could not agree more. The engineers are making things worse. The person they had on speaking loves to hate Qantas and does whatever he can to badmouth them. He annoys me greatly. There is nearly always a F/A at the front of the aircraft and they sit less than a meter away from the flight deck door, so they would see anyone even attempt to go near the door. Also, the Pilots surley would notice.

I'm honestly more concerned about the lack of security at all Qantas's Regional airports. Considering at the end of the flight they arrive into a 'secure' terminal.

Isn't that a bigger deal?

 

[drron]

Link to nine news-
QantasLink suffers serious security fault on MSN Video

 

[drron]

I could not agree more. The engineers are making things worse. The person they had on speaking loves to hate Qantas and does whatever he can to badmouth them. He annoys me greatly. There is nearly always a F/A at the front of the aircraft and they sit less than a meter away from the flight deck door, so they would see anyone even attempt to go near the door. Also, the Pilots surley would notice.

I'm honestly more concerned about the lack of security at all Qantas's Regional airports. Considering at the end of the flight they arrive into a 'secure' terminal.

Isn't that a bigger deal?

Yes it is-
Breach puts security at airports in the spotlight
Concerning a flight i have used a fair bit.Also hoping I will be flying MEL-DPO on Sunday so a grounding will cause problems.

 

[liamras]

To me it looks as if the door just isn't locked. Wouldn't suprise me if the crew leave it unlocked. I'm in no way concerned about the door being unlocked. It shouldn't need to be as long as all PAX have been screened appropriatley.

CASA and the AFP should be looking into that man who was opening the flight deck door. That could be something more serious.

 

[k_sheep]

Picked up by ABC too ... Plane coughpits 'can be opened by paddle pop sticks' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Plane coughpits 'can be opened by paddle pop sticks'

 

[medhead]

I'm honestly more concerned about the lack of security at all Qantas's Regional airports. Considering at the end of the flight they arrive into a 'secure' terminal.

Isn't that a bigger deal?

That doesn't happen in ADL and I'm pretty sure in BNE the regionals are put outside the secure area.

 

[Mal]

(From the ABC article above).

But Qantas spokesman David Epstein says the union's claims are an "irresponsible escalation of an industrial campaign involving licensed engineers employed by QantasLink in Queensland".

"This is a well-worn tactic of the ALAEA's federal secretary, when enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations are not going his way," Mr Epstein said.

"Safety and security are our highest priorities, and the coughpit doors on 28 QantasLink turboprop aircraft meet all relevant aviation security regulatory and manufacturer requirements.

"This has been validated after consultation with the Office of Transport Security and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority, yet Mr Purvinas is still prepared to raise his spurious claims needlessly alarming the travelling public and damaging Qantas.

"Mr Purvinas may be prepared to play a safety card to suit his ends, but he has no authority to speak on aviation security."

Welcome back Mr Purvinas. I remember you well from previous industrial disputes with Qantas - and quite frankly, you still are the biggest impediment to your union actually getting anywhere!

 

[thewinchester]

Saw this thread earlier, and Noise.com.au (I won't refer to them as News.com.au, as it implies something more than they are) - and surprisingly their article was surprisingly balanced.

The article heavily quoted QF PR Czar David Epstein, and I think he hit the nail right on the head with ALAEA's tactics in this regard.

Mr Epstein said the complaints are "a well-worn tactic of the ALAEA's federal secretary Steve Purvinas when enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations are not going his way".

"Safety and security are our highest priorities and the coughpit doors on 28 QantasLink turboprop aircraft meet all relevant aviation security regulatory and manufacturer requirements," Mr Epstein said.

"This has been validated after consultation with the Office of Transport Security and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

"Yet Mr Purvinas is still prepared to raise his spurious claims, needlessly alarming the travelling public and damaging Qantas."

Mr Epstein said Qantas and QantasLink continually review security measures.

"There is no need to for any aircraft to be grounded, and the travelling public can fly on QantasLink services with complete confidence," he said.

Despite my lacking some confidence in CASA given their recent form in some safety aspects, I highly doubt QF would have been able to install doors that don't meet the safety requirements set down by CASA and other regulators.

And if ALELA thinks there is a real issue with the doors, why is the thrust of their attack against a single airline? Kind of proves Epstein's points without breaking a sweat.

If there is a beef over the doors - it should be with the regulators, suggesting their standards for coughpit door security need review after their members have discovered the doors might not be as secure as might be thought.

 

[samh004]

Welcome back Mr Purvinas. I remember you well from previous industrial disputes with Qantas - and quite frankly, you still are the biggest impediment to your union actually getting anywhere!

It’s a shame Qantas can’t just refuse to deal with him… or better yet, get him done on spreading either false information, or confidential information. It’s nuts that stunts like this are legal.

 

[dk4]

That doesn't happen in ADL and I'm pretty sure in BNE the regionals are put outside the secure area.

You're quite right! liamras has nothing to be concerned about.

All regional* (non-jet) arrivals exit the aircraft into a non-secure area. This can be via a separate terminal facility, an arrivals passage/exit/corridor/covered-walkway that bypasses the secure area (e.g. QF BNE and many others), tarmac-to-landside bus transfer OR immediate screening as passengers leave the tarmac, where they need to walk airside through a secure terminal, to exit.

*The only place this may not appear to be happening, is SYD T3, where QantasLink-Cityflyer flights from CBR disembark directly into the secured airside of the terminal. BUT as ALL outbound CBR flights are security screened, they are no different from jet departures.

 

[Mal]

The other major flaw in Mr Pinhead's claims is that because of no screening at regional ports, a flaw in a door locking mechanism is a negligible worry in the scheme of things.

 

[esquire]

You're quite right! liamras has nothing to be concerned about.

All regional* (non-jet) arrivals exit the aircraft into a non-secure area. This can be via a separate terminal facility, an arrivals passage/exit/corridor/covered-walkway that bypasses the secure area (e.g. QF BNE and many others), tarmac-to-landside bus transfer OR immediate screening as passengers leave the tarmac, where they need to walk airside through a secure terminal, to exit.

*The only place this may not appear to be happening, is SYD T3, where QantasLink-Cityflyer flights from CBR disembark directly into the secured airside of the terminal. BUT as ALL outbound CBR flights are security screened, they are no different from jet departures.

* And the QantasLink TSV to CNS service, but once again full screening is done at Townsville. Did that flight yesterday

 

[Ewing]

*The only place this may not appear to be happening, is SYD T3, where QantasLink-Cityflyer flights from CBR disembark directly into the secured airside of the terminal. BUT as ALL outbound CBR flights are security screened, they are no different from jet departures.

And the arrival gate in Sydney also has screening facilities for flights from regional airports.

I think that's where the problem lies though, because there have been incidents where they've forgotten to screen passengers arriving in SYD before sending them into the secure area.

Qantaslink flights into CBR arrive landside so that's not an issue.

 

[dk4]

* And the QantasLink TSV to CNS service, but once again full screening is done at Townsville. Did that flight yesterday

I haven't arrived into CNS since the "arrivals terminal shed" was decommissioned, however there is a "covered walkway" that still presumably still directs all QantasLink arrivals directly off the tarmac and into the arrivals hall (rather than forcing them to walk through the secured departure area)? (A similar style to what is done in PER.)

Noting: In TSV there is a corridor at ground level (to the east of the secured departure area) that connects the tarmac (one-way) directly to the non-secure airside luggage claim area. When arriving on QantasLink passengers are directed through this corridor directly into the arrivals hall, rather than through the secured gate area.

 

[dk4]

I think that's where the problem lies though, because there have been incidents where they've forgotten to screen passengers arriving in SYD before sending them into the secure area.

Which is why, IMO, only CBR QantasLink-Cityflyer should arrive into T3. And all other QantasLink should arrive into T2, and passengers bussed off the tarmac. (Regardless of whether the other regional departure airports have screening or not.)

Leaving CBR arrivals as the ONLY odd ones out, so to speak.

 

[esquire]

I haven't arrived into CNS since the "arrivals terminal shed" was decommissioned, however there is a "covered walkway" that still presumably still directs all QantasLink arrivals directly off the tarmac and into the arrivals hall (rather than forcing them to walk through the secured departure area)? (A similar style to what is done in PER.)

My business colleague and I were sent into the departures area (where all the wonderful Kath and Kim clothing shops are ) and then exited via the security doors (just like T3 at SYD) out into the arrivals (and baggage) area. It was most unexpected and is just like the CBR-SYD flights.

 

[pauly7]

Which is why, IMO, only CBR QantasLink-Cityflyer should arrive into T3. And all other QantasLink should arrive into T2, and passengers bussed off the tarmac. (Regardless of whether the other regional departure airports have screening or not.)

Leaving CBR arrivals as the ONLY odd ones out, so to speak.

For Sydney you mean...?