All security personnel in customer-facing roles are wearing PPE including gloves and face masks. Regulated screening measures remain unchanged and security officers will maintain distancing where possible to keep any necessary contact time to a minimum. Show
Security trays are cleaned after every use, and other touchpoints within the terminal are being cleaned every hour. The safety and security of our customers is our top priority. Security is an extremely important part of air travel and making sure you know what you can and can’t take on board is one of our biggest responsibilities. By helping you to understand security requirements, whether you are travelling within Australia or overseas, a little knowledge and preparation can make your time at the airport more enjoyable and much less stressful. We have developed these guidelines so you can get the most out of your time at the airport, and get through security quickly with no hassle. If you’ve any extra questions, please look at our FAQs. If you would like to know more about why different screening processes are in place across Australian airports click here. Domestic PassengersYou need to be screened if you are travelling on a flight within Australia or entering the sterile area (the secure part of the terminal building) to accompany or meet a passenger. Personal effects are x-rayed and people entering the sterile area pass through a walk-through metal detector. This is supplemented by random checks for explosives. At Adelaide Airport, the screening process is managed by an AAL authorised security provider. If you are travelling within Australia, no further security checks are required. International PassengersIf you are travelling overseas, you will also need to pass through our international outbound screening point, also located on Level 2 of the Terminal within the sterile area. This involves additional security checks to comply with international regulations. At this point, there are additional requirements, with random body scanning and screening of powders, liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs). Click here to see current regulations for passengers travelling internationally from Australia. This check takes place directly before passing through Australian Immigration checks for departing passengers. Getting Through Security QuicklyBy following these simple tips, passing through security can be made even easier: • Take laptops, tablets and any large electrical items out of bags and place on a tray. • If wearing a bulky over garment (coat, parka or bulky jacket) please remove and place on the x-ray observation equipment conveyor belt. • Put small personal effects into your hand baggage if you have it; this will save time at the screening point and minimise the chance of leaving anything behind. • Trays are provided for larger items such as handbags, shoes and laptops. • Some shoes contain metal and may need screening (e.g. steel cap boots).+ Information for Passengers with Special AssistanceThe comfort of our customers is very important to us. We are continuously reviewing our processes and procedures to ensure travellers with special needs can pass through the airport with the minimum amount of hassle and fuss. Medical Implants & Artificial Limbs/ProsthesesPlease advise the Aviation Protection Officer and request separate screening to avoid passing through any machines that may affect pacemakers, cochlear implants or other devices. Walking AidsWalking aids must be screened and as such may require x-ray or explosive trace detection. Screening points have chairs and walking aids available during this process. WheelchairsStaff members are very familiar with the movement of passengers using wheelchairs. A physical search by an Aviation Protection Officer of the same sex will be provided. Travelling with ChildrenPrams and strollers will be screened and allowed entry past the security screening point. Infants and toddlers should be removed from the pram/stroller for the search. Where possible, check with your airline regarding their own rules for carriage of prams or strollers on board the aircraft. BehaviourJokes & CommentsAny inappropriate comments or actions regarding the carriage of weapons or explosive devices will be taken seriously and will be reported to the Australian Federal Police in the first instance. Prosecution or the refusal of carriage may result. Reporting Suspicious BehaviourIf you see notice any suspicious behaviour or suspicious luggage unattended please report directly to the Australian Federal Police by calling 131 237.
The Australian Federal Government has introduced full-body scanners at Australia's eight international gateway airports - Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Passengers departing Australia may be required to pass through a body scanner as part of standard screening processes. Unlike walk through metal detectors, the scanners are capable of detecting non-metal items under clothing. Passengers refusing to pass through the scanner will be banned from entering the sterile area or boarding an aircraft for 24 hours. Exemptions apply for people suffering from a serious medical condition, infants and small children and persons in wheelchairs. The body scanners will be 'millimetre wave' as opposed to x-ray. One body scan is comparable to passive exposure to a mobile phone used several metres away. The scanner cannot detect internal medical devices such as pacemakers and metal implants, and due to very low power levels there are no safety concerns in relation to devices such as pacemakers or for women who are pregnant. The process takes approximately seven to ten seconds - two to three seconds for the scan and five to seven seconds for the image to be generated and viewed by security personnel. To protect people's privacy the image that is generated appears as a 'stick figure' so all persons have the same outline with no defining features. Images will not be copied or stored. Find out more about body scanners at TravelSecure.
If you’re planning on just winging it at the airport security checkpoint, then not only could you be selected for additional inspection, but also possibly have to throw some stuff out in the garbage bins. That’s why it’s important to learn which items you have to take off / remove from your bag, and which ones not. Because airport security can be so difficult to understand, we created this guide, which explains in simple terms and infographics which items need to be removed and which ones can stay inside your hand luggage. You’ll also learn other important things about going through airport security. Which Items You Have to Take Off at Airport SecurityWhen arriving at the security checkpoint, you’ll have to take off some items from you and your pockets and place them in an empty plastic bin that will pass through an x-ray machine. You need to remove them because you’ll have to walk through an x-ray scanner as well, and these devices could set off the alarm and require additional pat-down.
Which Items You Can Keep Wearing at Airport SecuritySome items won’t set off the scanner, so you’re free to keep them on when going through airport security.
Which Items You Have to Take Out of Your Luggage At Airport SecurityYou’ll need to remove some items from your carry-on and personal item because they may obstruct the images of the x-ray scanners.
An important note about bringing electronics: Always ensure that all of your electronics with lithium batteries are charged. The TSA agents might ask you to turn your electronics on during security, and if the battery is dead or the device doesn’t turn on, they’re allowed to confiscate the item. That’s because faulty electronics have a higher chance of the lithium batteries malfunctioning and causing a fire, and there’s an increased risk that the device has been altered. Which Items You Can Keep Inside of Your Luggage At Airport SecuritySome items are completely fine to keep inside your hand luggage because they don’t clutter the x-ray images. In fact, we encourage you to keep all of them in, to speed up the security process for you and other passengers.
Which Items Are Banned From Hand Luggage
Quick Guide: How to Go Through Airport Security
Other Tips for Going Through Airport Security1. Organize All of Your Cables and Wires Into a Single OrganizerAlthough cables and chargers don’t officially need to be removed when going through the TSA, some security agents ask you to remove them anyway, because if they’re all jumbled up, they clutter the x-ray image. That’s why we recommend organizing all of your smaller electronics into a single electronics organizer bag, which will allow you to remove all of them much more quickly if needed, and also help you become more organized. 2. Keep Items That You’ll Need to Remove at the Top of the BagTo get through the security more quickly, ideally, you should pack everything that you’ll need to remove only within your personal item. That way, you can go through security without opening your carry-on. Furthermore, your should pack all the items that you’ll need to remove at the top of your personal item, so you can quickly pack and unpack everything. 3. Apply for TSA Precheck Expedited Screening ProgramImage source: FlickrIf you’re a U.S. citizen and you don’t have any criminal offenses, you should apply to the TSA Precheck program. Essentially, the Precheck program is there to make airport security checks easier and faster. If you apply to the program, you won’t have to stand in the regular line, but instead, you’ll be allowed to go through a quick security check. Precheck passengers don’t have to remove laptops and toiletries from their bags, and they don’t have to remove jackets, shoes, and belts when going through the security screener. They’re also screened more loosely, which makes the lines go much faster. Right now, over 200 airports and 85 airlines have TSA Precheck lines right next to regular security lines. If you’re flying domestically, most likely you’ll be able to use the Precheck security instead of the regular one. You can apply to this program if you’re a U.S. citizen, don’t have any criminal records, and are willing to let the TSA store your fingerprints. That said, it’s not for free – it’s 85$ for five years of enrollment and 70$ for renewals. When you sign up, you’ll have to schedule a 10-minute meeting in one of their enrollment centers, which includes a background check and fingerprinting. If you’re accepted, you’ll be enrolled in the program, and you’ll be able to use their precheck security lines for the next five years. Frequently Asked Questions About Airport Security
Unfortunately, TSA still restricts liquids in hand baggage to 3.4 oz (100 ml) bottles or less. Even though new scanners are slowly being rolled out, which don’t require passengers to carry liquids in small quantities, they’re installed only in a handful of airports, as they’re incredibly expensive to install. So even in 2022, liquids are still restricted in hand baggage in most airports across the world.
You can divide electronics into two main groups – ones that plug into somewhere in order to work, and ones that have a battery. The first group of electronics (the ones without a battery) doesn’t need to be removed from your bag at airport security. From the second group (the ones with batteries), some need to be removed, and some do not. You don’t need to remove ones that are powered by disposable batteries (AA, AAA, etc.), and ones that are smaller than a mobile phone. You do, however, need to remove electronics that have a lithium rechargeable battery, and that are larger than a cellphone, which could include laptops, cameras, tablets, e-readers, electric razors, etc.
It depends on whether you’re flying domestically or internationally. For domestic flights, you should arrive at the airport 2 hours before the flight. For international ones, you should arrive a bit later – 3 hours is usually enough. This will give you enough time to hand over your luggage at the check-in desks, go through security, and have some spare time left to do a bit of duty-free shopping if needed.
Assistive mobility devices, including wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and scooters, are allowed through the security checkpoint. However, you have to notify the officer first, and you’ll need to show some proof of your disability, such as disability cards or any other medical documentation. If you’re able to stand for 7 seconds without assistive devices, you’ll be scanned using advanced imaging technology. If not, the TSA requires a quick pat-down. Your mobility device will also be screened using the screening machine or individually inspected.
In the USA, you need a valid form of identification (passport, driver’s license, military id, etc.) and a flight ticket to go through airport security. In Europe and other parts of the world, you usually only need to scan a QR code on your ticket to go through airport security.
There are many things that you can do to go through airport security faster, like: 1. Wear shoes that are quick to remove and put back on.2. Pack everything that you’ll need to remove in your personal item, and somewhere easily accessible. 3. Pack your chargers, wires, and other small electronics in a electronics organizer bag, because sometimes they need to be removed for additional inspection. 4. Proactively remove fresh food and powders from your bag, because they often require additional inspection.5. Don’t carry bulky jewelry, watches, and bulky jackets that need to be removed during security.6. Stop removing small jewelry, your hat, and your glasses, because they don’t set off the security alarms.
According to EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency), backscatter x-ray systems and millimeter wave machines, used for scanning passengers in airports, pose a very, very minimal risk of health effects. They are perfectly safe for the health of children, adults, and pregnant women. Harvard Health Publishing seems to agree with this statement, although they do agree that there’s a very minimal risk of health effects. If you’re concerned about the potential health effects, you aren’t obliged to go through the machines. You can always ask for a pat-down instead. |