CANBERRA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Minister for Transport on Thursday agreed to consider a radical proposal from the Australian Airline Pilots Association which would result in domestic passengers having to present their passports or other photo ID such as driver's license before boarding domestic flights.
The pilots' union called a press conference late on Wednesday night to express their disappointment in the "gap in the aviation security system." They called for a number of measures to be introduced to beef-up security at airports, among them a requirement for passports to be presented before passengers board domestic flights.
Currently, passports are only required for international travelers, but on Thursday, federal Transport Minister Darren Chester said he would be happy to sit down with the pilots and security experts to discuss the merits of the radical proposal.
Speaking on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) radio, Chester said while the idea was out-of-the-box, he would happily consult the relevant authorities regarding the viability of such a plan.
"I'm quite happy to sit down with the pilots' union if that's their desire," Chester said.
"If they've got a genuine concern, the correct way to do is to raise it with me or raise it with the experts in the field and it can be analyzed and assessed for any risk."
The minister conceded that while airports in particular were "difficult and challenging operating environments," Australia's current security measures were working well to thwart any danger.
Last week, authorities arrested four men in Sydney in relation to a terror plot to bring down an Australian airliner.
