There has been a spike in airport arrests for bad behaviour at major Australian terminals, according to the AFP.
“Travellers be warned,” a statement from the AFP reads, “If you joke about blowing up a plane, abuse airline staff, attack strangers or, most bizarrely of all, try to open the door on a moving aircraft while several thousand feet in the air, there will be consequences.”
Police have charged 347 people with 408 offences this year already.
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The AFP will increase high-visibility patrols through airport precincts this Easter period to keep travellers and workers safe, with tens of thousands of airline passengers expected to travel.
AFP Aviation Commander Craig Bellis said the AFP had zero tolerance for any form of antisocial or dangerous behaviour.
“Higher traveller numbers and potentially longer waiting periods can lead to a spike in bad behaviour, triggered by impatience or intoxication, at our airports,” Bellis said.
Among recent examples of bad behaviour, earlier this month, a Jetstar passenger attempted to open the cabin door mid-flight from Bali to Melbourne.
The AFP has clocked up more than 31,000 hours in preventative actions in the nation’s busiest airports since 1 January, 2025. These actions include perimeter inspections and intelligence-led patrols to detect explosives and firearms.
The AFP and key partners have provided the following advice for travellers this Easter:
- If available, save time by checking in online or via an airline’s app
- When possible, check traffic conditions to the airport to allow time to arrive and check in luggage
- Consider pre-booking if parking at an airport car park, or travelling to the airport by public transport, ride share or taxi
- Be aware of weight restrictions of check-in luggage and other potential restrictions, such as lithium batteries and other dangerous goods
- Be patient and follow directions when going through security screening
- If travelling with children, consider packing extra food or activities to entertain them as the busy travel period could result in longer waiting times
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