In Reply to: Airport posted by Spudzilla on Thursday, 29. December 2005 at 19:15 Bali Time:
I found this and I really don't know what to say :(
Lax airport security added to Bali travel alerts
John Kerin
December 29, 2005
AUSTRALIAN authorities have issued their third warning in as many weeks to avoid travel to Indonesia, this time citing lax security at Bali airport.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has advised travellers that safety checks and security facilities at Denpasar airport do not meet international standards.
The warning follows an adverse assessment of the airport by the US Transportation Security Administration, which is working with Indonesian authorities to fix the security problems. The TSA has told passengers that US and other foreign airlines flying to and from Bandara Ngurah International Airport had imposed additional safety precautions.
The advice comes just weeks after the federal Government warned Australians not to go to Bali because of the "very high" threat of terror attacks. On October 1, 23 people were killed, including four Australians, in suicide bomb attacks in Bali.
The Government issued another warning last week, when police in Jakarta said they feared that members of terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah would turn to kidnapping following the death of chief bombmaker Azahari Bin Husin last month.
The airport warning comes after Islamic militants used a website to demonstrate how to shoot foreigners in Jakarta and throw grenades at motorists.
Federal Transport Minister Warren Truss said Qantas and Australian Airlines had taken extra precautions to ensure flights met international standards.
"There are concerns about the level of security checking. There's concern about the general environment in Bali," Mr Truss said.
"Australia has been aware of these for some time ... but the extra measures that Qantas is taking, we believe, meet international standards and should ensure the highest possible level of safety when flying into an airport where there is some inherent safety risk."
The latest DFAT travel advice urges Australians to reconsider travel to Indonesia, including Bali, "due to the very high threat of terrorist attack".
"We continue to receive a stream of reporting indicating that terrorists are in the advanced stages of planning attacks against Western interests in Indonesia against a range of targets, including places frequented by foreigners," the advice says.