Strengthening aviation security

The Minister for Home Affairs and Justice Brendan O'Connor initially introduced the Aviation Crimes and Policing Legislation Amendment Bill 2010 earlier this year. It was prorogued and is now being introduced again.

"Attacks and threatened attacks on our aviation industry put lives at risk, cause great distress and impose unnecessary burdens on our aviation industry," Mr O'Connor said.

"The Gillard Government wants to strengthen aviation security in Australia and, if passed, this Bill will make our skies a safer place for airlines, their staff and the travelling public."

Under the Bill, maximum penalties for aviation-related crimes will increase and such crimes will fall within four categories:

• 10 years jail for hoax offences such as calling an airline and saying a bomb is on a plane or threatening to bomb an airport, which currently carries a two year maximum jail term.
• 14 years jail for offences against aircraft or aviation environments, such as damaging a runway or air traffic control facilities at a major airport, which currently carries maximum jail terms of seven or ten years.
• 20 years jail for very serious offences that pose danger or cause harm to groups of people, such as assaulting a pilot or endangering an aircraft while in flight. These offences currently carry maximum jail terms of seven, 14 or 15 years.
• Life in jail would continue to apply to offences such as hijacking or destroying an aircraft and being reckless as to causing death.

"These crimes not only cause great distress and inconvenience, but can also compromise public safety, for example where a flight has to be diverted at short notice or where an airport needs to be evacuated suddenly," Mr O'Connor said.

The increase in penalties will provide greater consistency with other criminal legislation.

Three new offences are also proposed:

• Assault of an aircraft crew member - a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment
• Reckless endangerment of an aircraft, where danger of serious harm or death can be shown - a maximum penalty of 14 years
• Having dangerous goods onboard an aircraft, where there is a risk of serious harm or death - a maximum penalty of 14 years.

Key aviation stakeholders have been consulted in the development of these proposed new laws and the Government will continue to consult the aviation sector.