The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has deployed more than 500 uniformed officers across the country’s nine designated airports in anticipation of what the Australian Airports Association predicts will be the busiest December-January peak on record—over 23.4 million passengers. Acting Aviation Commander Josh Sinclair-Wadham said the Christmas–New Year surge requires an “all-hands-on-deck” security posture to minimise disruption and reassure travellers.
The operation is being coordinated with the Australian Border Force, state police and private airport security contractors. Patrols are concentrating on departure halls and immigration-clearance zones where crowding historically leads to frustration and aggressive behaviour. Officers have new de-escalation training and mobile body-worn cameras, while specialist canine units will rotate through screening lanes targeting prohibited items and narcotics.
To avoid any last-minute paperwork snags amid the seasonal rush, passengers can streamline visa and travel-authorisation checks before they reach the terminal by using VisaHQ’s online service, which provides step-by-step Australian visa guidance, expedited processing and live status alerts for more than 200 jurisdictions (https://www.visahq.com/australia/).
![AFP rolls out high-visibility patrols as Australia braces for record holiday travel]()
Business-travel managers are being advised to allow at least an extra 30 minutes for pre-flight formalities at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where international volumes are expected to exceed pre-pandemic peaks by up to 8 per cent. Corporate security teams are already updating traveller-tracking apps to reflect longer kerb-to-gate times and potential gate changes caused by flow-control measures.
The AFP says intelligence-led rostering will let it surge officers to terminals facing unexpected delays—important after the nationwide passport-system outage in late November that left thousands queueing for manual processing. Airport operators welcome the visibility but caution that policing alone cannot solve bottlenecks created by surging passenger loads and ageing infrastructure.
For mobility professionals, the message is clear: book flexible tickets where possible, remind employees to arrive early, and ensure duty-of-care systems capture real-time airport alerts so itineraries can be adjusted before missed connections cascade through regional schedules.
The operation is being coordinated with the Australian Border Force, state police and private airport security contractors. Patrols are concentrating on departure halls and immigration-clearance zones where crowding historically leads to frustration and aggressive behaviour. Officers have new de-escalation training and mobile body-worn cameras, while specialist canine units will rotate through screening lanes targeting prohibited items and narcotics.
To avoid any last-minute paperwork snags amid the seasonal rush, passengers can streamline visa and travel-authorisation checks before they reach the terminal by using VisaHQ’s online service, which provides step-by-step Australian visa guidance, expedited processing and live status alerts for more than 200 jurisdictions (https://www.visahq.com/australia/).
Business-travel managers are being advised to allow at least an extra 30 minutes for pre-flight formalities at Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, where international volumes are expected to exceed pre-pandemic peaks by up to 8 per cent. Corporate security teams are already updating traveller-tracking apps to reflect longer kerb-to-gate times and potential gate changes caused by flow-control measures.
The AFP says intelligence-led rostering will let it surge officers to terminals facing unexpected delays—important after the nationwide passport-system outage in late November that left thousands queueing for manual processing. Airport operators welcome the visibility but caution that policing alone cannot solve bottlenecks created by surging passenger loads and ageing infrastructure.
For mobility professionals, the message is clear: book flexible tickets where possible, remind employees to arrive early, and ensure duty-of-care systems capture real-time airport alerts so itineraries can be adjusted before missed connections cascade through regional schedules.
