Security must be upgraded at Australian airports after Turkey terror attack: security experts

Major Australia airports should strongly consider beefing up security in the wake of yet another deadly terrorist attack, Australian security experts have said on Thursday.

Restricting non-traveling passengers from entering departure halls, employing facial recognition technology and increasing security at entry and exit points should all be considered at Australian airports, following a deadly terror attack in Istanbul in which more than 40 people were killed in three separate attacks, experts from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) have said.

Dr Anthony Bergin, deputy director at the ASPI, said it might become necessary to restrict loved ones from entering the airport, as a higher "concentration" of people is desirable for those considering acts of terrorism.

"Sadly, we've got to have a think about restricting loved ones, family well-wishers and others (who are not traveling)," Bergin told News Corp on Thursday.

"We've got to think about the numbers of people who are allowed to be around the arrival and departure halls - by reducing that you are reducing the concentration of people."

Head of Border Security at the ASPI, Dr John Coyne, said Australian authorities should react appropriately to the attack in Turkey, and come up with a way to process passengers quickly and more thoroughly.

"It's quite clear, if we look at the circumstances of both attacks, our arrivals and departure halls are more vulnerable," Coyne said.

Meanwhile Gavin Queit from security consultancy firm GK Solutions said crowded airports were going to be "vulnerable" to attacks, and minimizing the impact of any potential attack should be a priority for governments and airports.

"Every time you create a queue or a crowd of people at major infrastructure, that crowd is vulnerable," Queit said.

On Thursday, a government spokesperson told News Corp that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had beefed up security in the wake of the Turkey attack, and said new measures were being weighed up all the time.

"In direct response to the events in Turkey, the AFP has enhanced its presence in the publicly accessible areas of Australia's major airports," the spokesperson, from the Office of Transport Security, said.

"Security measures at airports are constantly under review by the government, given the current volatility of the threat environment.

"We need to balance our reactions to these tragic events with ensuring that we protect our freedoms." Endit