Avalon alleged gunman sparks urgent security crackdown at regional airports nationwide

He has yet to enter a plea and will face court again on March 21.

A spokeswoman said the Home Affairs Department has a robust compliance program to ensure that airports meet security requirements.

The department is working with Avalon Airport and Jetstar as it investigates the incident.

Avalon launched an urgent internal review of its security arrangements in response to the incident but insists all government-mandated measures were in place when the major security breach occurred.

On Thursday, officers had to race nine kilometres to the airport to arrest the teenager because they do not have a permanent presence there. Investigators believe the 17-year-old climbed through a hole in the airport’s security fence and walked to the Jetstar flight. However, it is unclear whether they allege the teenager cut the hole or whether the hole was already there.

While airports in major Australian cities are patrolled around the clock by border officials and federal police, there is no permanent police presence at Avalon, where international flights depart and arrive daily.

Instead, the airport is guarded by private security officers. On Friday, the airport deployed additional guards and said it had upgraded security around the perimeter.

Australian Border Force staff only attend the airport, which is classified as a tier 2 regional airport by federal authorities, to manage ad hoc international charter and cargo flights.

The Australian Federal Police have counter-terrorism response on standby at the country’s nine major airports: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Darwin, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. The AFP’s counter-terrorism and special investigations command is working alongside Victoria Police following the incident at Avalon, a spokeswoman said.

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