The air safety divide.

Clearing an Australian airport for an overseas trip has become an exercise in anti-terrorist management. Bags are X-Rayed, passengers pass through metal detectors, shoes are scrutinised - and personal belongings are restricted in type and size to what can be carried in a clear plastic container. Passengers must feel an overwhelming sense of safety at these precautions.
Unfortunately this strict regimen only exists at Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth - the four airports that service the international airlines bringing people to and from this country.
It is a very different picture at the dozens of provincial airports dotted about the country and serving smaller cities and towns.
There are no X-Ray machines and no metal detectors. Passenger processing is more reminiscent of the 1950's. Bags are accepted without question and in most cases passengers have access to the taxiway - and walk across this to board their aircraft.
It seems that smaller aircraft carrying domestic passengers are of little interest to terrorists. Terror is all about publicity and the media savvy terrorist knows that knocking a 747 out of the sky will dominate world news for days. In contrast, the crash of a small commuter plane carrying a handful of passengers will probably only make the local news.
It may be a comforting thought to country people but there seems to be a lack of balance when commuter flights connect with international airlines. In some cases, luggage booked in at a sleepy regional airport is transferred to an international flight without further checking. This seems to be common when a commuter flight is late and there is the need to get an international flight away on schedule.
The need for vigilance extends to all airports - and an upgrade is needed !