US-bound flights on time despite extra security

United States-bound flights have been departing from Auckland on time despite passengers' facing additional security checks brought in at short notice, security officials said today.

The US Transportation Security Administration imposed the new rules worldwide on all flights into the US after a suspected terrorist attack on an aircraft en route from Amsterdam and Detroit on Christmas Day.

Staff at Auckland International Airport, the only port of departure for direct services from New Zealand to the US, were advised of the changes only six hours before the next scheduled flight to the US.

Aviation Security Service northern regional manager Peter Pilley said things had gone reasonably smoothly at the airport, "for what we've had to implement at short notice".

"There haven't been any delays to aircraft departing," he said.

"However, people on US-bound flights are subject to additional checks in the gate lounge and we're advising them to allow an extra hour in the whole process from check-in to enable that to be carried."

Mr Pilley said people appeared to be heeding that advice, while the two airlines concerned, Air New Zealand and Qantas, were doing their best to pass on that message to their passengers.

He said travellers were accepting of the additional security measures, which follow the normal customs, immigration and security checks.

"We've not had any complaints," he said.

"The only thing we had so far is people saying, 'Check away, we're more than happy for you to ensure we are safe'."

About three to five flights leave from Auckland for the US each day.

The man at the centre of Christmas Day incident, Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, has been charged with attempting to blow up a Northwest Airlines jumbo plane as it approached Detroit with almost 300 people on board.

He allegedly had explosives strapped to his body but was overpowered by passengers and crew.

- NZPA