Airport screening costs up. What’s the scam?
The Senate voted for an investigation into regional air travel. He says not before time Rex PatrickAirport screening costs are driving up prices in regions.
Everyone wants air travel to be free from the risk of terrorism; everyone. So it’s easy to sympathize with Canberra bureaucrats’ move in 2018 to recommend security screening at smaller regional airports.
So what’s the trick in this?
The scam is that local councils, which own most regional airports, need to find funding to run several security screening shifts at airports, sometimes for a very small number of flights.
It was the first time that screening was required, and after pressure from me (as a senator) and the National Party, the Federal Government agreed to pay for screening.
However, after the Labor Government came to power, councils were left to their own devices.
The response at Whyalla was for Rex Airlines and Qantas to increase departure fares by $35 to $40 per passenger, and this was passed on to passengers. Rex immediately announced that he would be off course.
How much do you pay for terrorism insurance?
Before COVID, 1,500 passengers a week were traveling through Whyalla Airport. That number is now down to about 900 a week. This means hundreds of people using the road to travel to Adelaide, a much less safe way to travel. Alternatively, people in Whyalla are minimizing travel to their medical services, training courses, business meetings or private leisure events in Adelaide.
The same thing is happening throughout Australia.
Local councils pay for national security, and people in the regions add hefty taxes to already expensive ticket prices.
People in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne pay less than a dollar for airport screenings. The government could share the cost so everyone in Australia pays $1.50 per flight. No one in these cities would notice, and if they did, they wouldn’t care. They will be happy to help.
That’s why it’s great to see the Senate today vote for an inquiry into regional air travel that will, in part, look at screening costs. Labor voted against the investigation.
Rex Patrick is a former South Australian Senator and formerly a submariner in the armed forces. Known as an anti-corruption and transparency warrior, Rex is also known as “Transparency Warrior“
