Melbourne Airport: Major security breach, Qantas delays flights

A major security breach at Melbourne airport is expected to spark widespread chaos across the country.

Qantas passengers were ordered off flights and back inside the terminal, sparking chaotic scenes early Tuesday morning.

‘A passenger appears to have inadvertently passed from an unscreened area to a screened area of the airport in Melbourne,’ a Qantas statement read.

‘As a precaution all Qantas operations have been put on hold and passengers in the terminal are being rescreened which is causing delays to some services this morning.’

Tim Joyce had just boarded his Brisbane flight when the pilot ordered everyone off the plane.

‘I was on a flight basically a minute before taking off and the pilot informs us that a passenger has slipped through security or someone in the airport slipped through security,’ he told the Today show.

‘They have evacuated every single person that has been through screening so that everybody can get rescreened.

‘It seems quite serious, there are thousands of people waiting at 6am.’ 

He added communication had been good, despite the the chaos.