A man in his late 30s has been arrested after bypassing security at Hobart Airport and boarding an empty Jetstar aircraft on the tarmac.
The security breach occurred around 2:15pm on Thursday when the man exited the terminal and accessed the tarmac while passengers were disembarking from a flight that had just arrived from Sydney.
Police say the man approached the aircraft and boarded it via the rear stairs, gaining entry to the cabin.
Jetstar staff reportedly waited with the man, who was unarmed and calm, until police arrived at the scene.
“Police attended the scene quickly and the man was escorted from the aircraft without incident shortly after 2:15pm,” a police spokesperson told Pulse.
No passengers were on board the aircraft at the time, as it was between flights.
In a statement to Pulse, a Hobart Airport spokesperson said the airport takes security “extremely seriously” and is “closely reviewing the incident to ensure the continued strength” of their security procedures.
“Hobart Airport has robust measures in place to detect, deter and respond to security incidents, and we would like to thank Tasmania Police and members of our team for acting so quickly and effectively in this instance.”
Police say there was “no risk to the wider public” during the security breach and nobody was injured.
Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward with information about the incident.
“Anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have information that can assist police can contact 131 444,” the spokesperson said.
