‘Port-a-loos on the tarmac’: Traveller slams airport processing

Travellers to Hobart sitting on the tarmac at Brisbane Airport have disembarked this morning due to ongoing uncertainty over the status of state borders. LATEST >>

• PM calls urgent meeting as states brace for more cases
• Weather alert: Icy road warning for parts of Tasmania

TRAVELLERS to Hobart sitting on the tarmac at Brisbane Airport had to disembark on Monday morning due to ongoing uncertainty over the status of state borders.

News Corp executive Sally Waghorn was due to travel to Hobart with colleagues for a week and had been sitting on a Virgin plane since about 10am before the whole plane disembarked at around 11am.

“There were only 10 high risk locations [in Brisbane] listed as of this morning so to stop a plane full of people seems a bit extreme,” she said.

“We’ve been told all flights today are fully booked so if Tassie shut the border while we were on the plane, we’d have to quarantine for two weeks, so we’re heading back home.”

Travellers on board the Virgin flight from Brisbane to Hobart Monday June 28, 2021

A state government spokeswoman said the Brisbane delay was due to passengers not wanting to travel.

“It’s understood that the delay experienced on teh tarmac in Brisbane was a result of some passengers expressing a desire not to travel after they had boarded the aircraft and not as a result of any confusion around Tasmania’s border restrcitionsor any advice from Tasmanian Public Health or the Tasmanian Government,” she said.

“Once a number of passemgers disembarked, the flight was reboarded and arrived in Hobart about 3pm (Monday).”

Meanwhile, travellers heading to Tasmania will be required to register through Tas e-Travel no more than one day before their journey to ensure their movements are as up to date as possible.

Previously, travellers could register up to three days before travel, but that’s changed as high risk locations continue to be identified in some jurisdictions.

Travellers will be required to declare if they have been to high risk areas as part of their registration.

Those who have only been to low-risk areas in the 14 days prior to arrival in Tasmania are not required to quarantine and can also transit directly through medium-risk and high-risk areas if they comply with specific conditions.

Those who have been in medium or high risk areas must apply for essential traveller status through the G2G PASS system, which must be made at least three business days before arrival.

Sunday, June 27:

HUNDREDS of passengers queued for up to 90 minutes in the cold at Hobart Airport on Friday night as the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney took its toll on quarantine checks.

Premier Peter Gutwein said he would look into the circumstances in which passengers on flights from Sydney and Perth were left waiting outside with the queue moving slowly.

“Look, it’s unfortunate if people have had a slightly longer wait than is normal but we’re working with a system that’s stood the state in good stead – it’s kept us safe,” Mr Gutwein said.

“What’s important is that our border controls and the systems we’ve had in place have kept Tasmanians safe.”

Passengers had to wait outside the Hobart airport terminal for up to 90 minutes on Friday night. Picture: Dark Mofo/Rosie Hastie

On Facebook, a Tasmanian returning to Hobart asked: “Is this a joke? Why do we have apps, permits, tests, vaccines?

“Kids are crying their eyes out, there are elderly, there’s nowhere to sit and the temp is dropping.

“Hey Hobart Airport what’s the go? It’s 6 degrees, no heating and there’s 300 people + standing in a queue freezing.”

Hobart airport manager Norris Carter said he had had “a few complaints” but people had been patient, which was fantastic.

“The recent outbreaks in Melbourne and Sydney upped the intensity of questioning and we are looking at how to improve the facilities,” Mr Carter said.

Arrivals to Hobart being screened at Hobart airport. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

Economist and frequent traveller Saul Eslake said arriving at Hobart Airport was like “arriving in a foreign country”.

“Tasmania is one of only three ­jurisdictions to have a ‘visa’ to enter and we are the only state that ­forces people to line up outside in the cold.

“Tasmanians are entitled to ask why? It underscores how crappy Hobart Airport is that we still do not have air bridges – even Townsville have them.”

Mr Carter said air bridges at the airport would be “really expensive” and would mean an increase in airfares.

Deputy state controller Scott Tilyard said passengers were processed as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Our priority is to protect Tasmania from Covid-19,” he said.