The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has launched its largest-ever seasonal aviation operation, deploying more than 500 uniformed officers, canine teams and specialist rapid-response units across the nine airports where it is the lead law-enforcement agency. Acting Aviation Commander Josh Sinclair-Wadham said the surge is designed to cope with an expected 23.4 million domestic and international passenger movements during December-January—a post-pandemic record. High-visibility foot patrols have been supplemented with short-barrel-rifle teams and additional CCTV monitoring to deter disruptive behaviour and fast-track incident response.
The operation follows a 28 per cent jump in AFP aviation activity in 2025, during which officers logged 130,936 hours of proactive duties and responded to more than 21,000 call-outs. A total of 1,160 people have already been charged this year for offences ranging from drug possession to acts of violence, underscoring the strain that booming traveller numbers place on airport security resources. Police say periods of heavy foot-traffic and longer queues correlate with spikes in alcohol-fuelled and antisocial incidents.
To help international travellers sail smoothly through these busier terminals, VisaHQ offers a one-stop online solution for securing Australian visas and travel documents ahead of departure. The platform—accessible at https://www.visahq.com/australia/—provides step-by-step application support and real-time status tracking, minimising paperwork hassles and reducing stress when airport security lines are at their longest.
![AFP Intensifies Airport Patrols as Australia Faces Record Holiday Passenger Surge]()
Travellers will notice roving baggage-screen patrols, random explosives-detection sweeps and “zero-tolerance” enforcement of the no-fly list. The AFP is also working with airlines on gate-area messaging that reminds passengers that abusive conduct can trigger on-the-spot fines or flight bans. Border Force officers have been surged to passport control to keep immigration queues moving and free AFP members for policing duties.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the clamp-down means travel managers should build extra dwell time into itineraries, advise staff to arrive earlier than usual, and remind relocating employees that prohibited items such as pepper spray are illegal even in checked bags. Companies with large holiday travel volumes are being encouraged to brief employees on Airport Watch—131 AFP—as part of their duty-of-care protocols.
Looking ahead, the AFP says the “summer surge” blueprint will become the template for all Australian peak-travel periods, including Easter and the July school-holiday rush. Airports and airlines are already reviewing CCTV coverage and crowd-flow modelling to improve choke points before the next demand spike in March 2026.
The operation follows a 28 per cent jump in AFP aviation activity in 2025, during which officers logged 130,936 hours of proactive duties and responded to more than 21,000 call-outs. A total of 1,160 people have already been charged this year for offences ranging from drug possession to acts of violence, underscoring the strain that booming traveller numbers place on airport security resources. Police say periods of heavy foot-traffic and longer queues correlate with spikes in alcohol-fuelled and antisocial incidents.
To help international travellers sail smoothly through these busier terminals, VisaHQ offers a one-stop online solution for securing Australian visas and travel documents ahead of departure. The platform—accessible at https://www.visahq.com/australia/—provides step-by-step application support and real-time status tracking, minimising paperwork hassles and reducing stress when airport security lines are at their longest.
Travellers will notice roving baggage-screen patrols, random explosives-detection sweeps and “zero-tolerance” enforcement of the no-fly list. The AFP is also working with airlines on gate-area messaging that reminds passengers that abusive conduct can trigger on-the-spot fines or flight bans. Border Force officers have been surged to passport control to keep immigration queues moving and free AFP members for policing duties.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the clamp-down means travel managers should build extra dwell time into itineraries, advise staff to arrive earlier than usual, and remind relocating employees that prohibited items such as pepper spray are illegal even in checked bags. Companies with large holiday travel volumes are being encouraged to brief employees on Airport Watch—131 AFP—as part of their duty-of-care protocols.
Looking ahead, the AFP says the “summer surge” blueprint will become the template for all Australian peak-travel periods, including Easter and the July school-holiday rush. Airports and airlines are already reviewing CCTV coverage and crowd-flow modelling to improve choke points before the next demand spike in March 2026.
