Know your passengers

Why no-one should be allowed to travel on a flight unless they have been identified

Domestic air travel in Australia is vulnerable to the use and exploitation by terrorists. Suspect terrorists use air travel to meet supporters, attend training and plan an attack. And if given an opportunity, to commit a terrorist attack on a domestic flight. It is an offence in Australia to acquire an air passenger ticket using false identification information and to undertake a domestic flight using an air passenger ticket acquired using false identification information.

However, currently, any person who books a domestic or international flight in Australia is not required to identify themselves at the time of making a booking. While an international traveller is required to identify themselves at the time of check‑in and again prior to boarding a flight by presenting their passport, a person checking in and boarding a domestic flight is not. And the person, in whose name the ticket has been booked, is not required to identify themselves prior to boarding any aircraft engaged on a domestic flight.