Townsville Security

Tonymoon

Newbie
Joined
Feb 11, 2013
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7
At Townsville airport it is necessary to remove an ipad or similar pad from one's carry on luggage and place it in a tray as one would do with a computer. I have never experienced such a requirement at any other airport in Australia nor indeed any where else in the world. Has anyone else ever found such a requirement?
 
Yes some airports ask for iPads to be removed and it just appears to be hit and miss.

I won't pin point specific airports however some in both Europe and AU/NZ are inconsistent with some days requiring iPad's to be taken out and other days I've forgotten I had my macbook in my bag and no one's said anything.

I often travel with a mess of cables and one airport I've been through recently had a sign up saying if you've got more cables than this (and showed a picture) please remove them as well (I can't remember where this was though).

In the future as screening technology improves this will be an increasingly smaller issue...

Obviously Townsville will be the last to get the new screening tech (no offence Townsville) but at least it's a problem that's slowly being solved.
 
I have worked in Townsville the last 2 winters.Last year no problems-the usual security.
This year a very pedantic fellow so my computer,phone and kindle all out.Plus as I was taking of my belt and shoes he told me not too.I told him about my knee replacement and i would set off the machine.He still told me not to.I just pushed them into the machine first and turned and walked through and as usual set off the xray.Had I left my shoes and belt on it would be back and take them off and go through again.
 
I have been asked to take my ipad out at several airports and now I take it out automatically everywhere.
Less hassle.
 
This year I have been asked to take iPad out of my bag quite a few times at domestic airports, it seemed to be a new requirement to me as it was never previously required.
 
At Townsville airport it is necessary to remove an ipad or similar pad from one's carry on luggage and place it in a tray as one would do with a computer. I have never experienced such a requirement at any other airport in Australia nor indeed any where else in the world. Has anyone else ever found such a requirement?
Yep, Townsville particularly officious and annoying in the last 12 months at security - not just the ipad thing, also the attitude and the slowness. There isn't much to like about going to TSV in general for work at the moment as the QP is small and packed and most QF flights are now 717s (tend to go U/S frequently, be late, cancelled, very noisy). Staff in QP are really nice though.
 
Yep, Townsville particularly officious and annoying in the last 12 months at security - not just the ipad thing, also the attitude and the slowness.
Sounds like Townsville is the new Adelaide.
 
... Has anyone else ever found such a requirement?
Whether at TSV, or at any other airport, pretty much do what you’re told, security-wise, I would say. 😀

Edit: That airport probably has bigger issues, as others have mentioned
 
I've found it a bit of a mixed bag about Tablets, phones and other devices in or out at TSV - seems very inconsistent.

As someone who flies in and out of TSV very often over the years I have also noticed in the past that the metal detectors are sometimes set to "hypersensitive"or "paranoid" mode - to the point where a wristwatch and a belt buckle that goes through ADL, SYD MEL and BNE security without issue very often sometimes sets off the metal detectors in TSV, but not always.
 
At Townsville airport it is necessary to remove an ipad or similar pad from one's carry on luggage and place it in a tray as one would do with a computer. I have never experienced such a requirement at any other airport in Australia nor indeed any where else in the world. Has anyone else ever found such a requirement?

In my experience this is required at most Australian airports - NTL, SYD, BNE, MEL, DRW.... it changed about a year ago
It is also standard in the US (“Anything larger than a cell phone”). Changed there 2-3 years ago.
 
Didn't happen on any of my domestic flights this year apart from TSV or on any US flight in the past 2 years.
 
Didn't happen on any of my domestic flights this year apart from TSV or on any US flight in the past 2 years.

Just a few references I found:

Sydney
Travelling with laptops and tablets
Laptops and tablets must be taken out of their bag and placed in the tray provided when going through the security screening point. This will ensure screening officers have an unobstructed view as they move through the screening equipment. For more information visit the security screening process page of the TravelSECURE website.

Brisbane
  • Removing electronic equipment like laptops and tablets from your luggage and placing them on a tray.
Adelaide
• Take laptops, tablets and any large electrical items out of bags and place on a tray

USA
TSA Security and iPads
In the past, TSA hasn't required passengers to remove iPads or other tablets from bags when going through the security checkpoints. However, in July 2017, the administration tightened the rules. Currently, all passengers must move any electronic device larger than a cellphone from luggage and place it in the bins for the X-ray screening. That includes iPads of all sizes. Place the iPad or tablet in its own bin with nothing above or below it, just as you would a laptop computer, to ensure a quick passage through security. It's fine to leave cases or covers on the iPad.
 
Still not asked to take tablet out and it went through security in my carry on except at TSV.
 
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So the point is that TSV is doing the right thing and the airports that have been letting you get through are being slack. Kudos to TSV.
 
I actually don't think they realise they're doing the right thing.Just officious.As I said trying to stop me taking off my belt and shoes even after telling them I had a knee replacement.
 
In my experience this is required at most Australian airports - NTL, SYD, BNE, MEL, DRW.... it changed about a year ago ....
Maybe I’ve been lucky. Not at BNE or SYD this year for me. Will see what happens in MEL before Christmas.
 
Maybe I’ve been lucky. Not at BNE or SYD this year for me. Will see what happens in MEL before Christmas.

It's all about speeding up security - if it goes through and they can't see it properly they'll either spend a bit of time on the terminal to scan the image or do the "who's bag is this" dance and you'll be delayed a few extra minutes. This happens all the time in the US. If you pack light and don't have any other electronics in your bag you're more likely to get away with it.

It is however official policy both in Australia and the US to remove tablets for this reason.

I don't see what all the moaning is about, it takes 5 seconds to take it out and put it on a tray. Makes security faster for everyone. Why do you have to be told to do the right thing? If you travel often you should know these things.
 

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