A security breach at Melbourne Airport this morning has caused chaos, with flights delayed and hundreds of passengers having to be screened.
A person “inadvertently entered the terminal without a security check, Qantas said in a statement, prompting the airline to deboard at least one loaded aircraft and order hundreds of people back into the queue.
Flights are expected to be delayed until the morning, with knock-on effects across the country.
There is chaos at Melbourne Airport after someone entered the terminal without a security check. (9 News)
Passenger Tim Joyce told Today that his flight had been “one minute away” from take-off before everyone was asked to leave the plane.
“The pilot told us right away that there was someone who had escaped through the terminal,” he said.
“I think we were basically the last people to be evacuated.”
Hundreds of people are forced to queue again to return to the screen. (9 News)
Joyce said despite the inconvenience, Qantas’ communication had been “great”.
People are being screened with priority boarding.
“I’m glad they evacuated the terminal to make sure everyone is safe, because it’s definitely worth a few hours of waiting,” Joyce said.
Qantas has warned there will be flight delays. (9 News)
But he admitted there were “a lot of mixed feelings” among passengers in the queue.
Joyce’s flight had originally been scheduled to take off at around 6am, but was initially pushed back to 6.40am, with further delays likely.
“They’re not too sure yet,” he said
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