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February, 2010 Aviation industry representatives from around the world met in Queenstown this month for the 2010 International Airport Security Conference, which addresses the ever-expanding and highly topical subject of airport security.Transport select committee chairman David Bennett, who opened the conference, said airport security in New Zealand had been the subject of intense scrutiny after two pilots had to subdue a knife-wielding woman on a Blenheim flight in 2008. After that incident, the installation of security screening at all New Zealand airports was budgeted at $160 million. "That was seen as a large expense, and is the reasoning of not going to full screening in all New Zealand airports," Mr Bennett said. As a result of the Blenheim incident, planes carrying more than 90 passengers are screened. Passengers flying on provincial flights of fewer than 90 people are not. "In essence, New Zealand's (airport security) threats are potentially biggest in planes travelling between the major centres, but for provincial type flights it's seen that the cost of screening and enhanced security would be prohibitive," Mr Bennett said. He used the unfenced Wanaka airport as an example. "You would have to fence the airport and there would be a lot of other security mechanisms that would have to be put in place to get the degree of security needed for screening to even happen," he said. Queenstown Airport chief executive Steve Sanderson said Queenstown Airport security was set up to process 650 passengers an hour. He expected there could be a spike in visitor numbers to Queenstown after t next year's Rugby World Cup. "That is well within the predictions we currently have for the World Cup and post-World Cup timeframe," he said. "All our security is in place, so we feel there won't be any strain and we'll cope very well." Source: The Southland Times
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