FORGET months of al-Qaeda-style training - a Kirra man has managed to infiltrate Gold Coast Airport security with nothing but a belly full of dutch courage and a strong desire to find a bed for the night.
To make matters worse, the 21-year-old university student didn't even know how he did it.
Queensland police said the man was found asleep on the back of a Qantas lift truck at 5.53am on Saturday.
It is believed the portable stairs were parked on the tarmac in a restricted area close to where up to five aircraft had also been parked for the night.
Qantas flight 839 had boarded just moments before the man was found by security staff.
It is believed the 33 passengers on board were asked to disembark and were re-screened. However, a Virgin flight was allowed to leave after a short delay without any extra screening.
It is believed the man had been in the area for up to six hours before being spotted by Australian Federal Police Protective Service officers. He was charged with trespass.
Police said he was unaware how he managed to breach security - all he wanted to know was if they had found his shirt and thongs.
A spokeswoman for the Gold Coast Airport declined to comment yesterday.
An Australian Federal Police spokesman confirmed the incident.
Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey described the breach as serious and said it raised several questions for the airport.
Monash University terrorism expert Christopher Beggs said it was lucky the man's intentions were not sinister.
Australian National University security expert Dr Michael McKinley said regional airports were not regarded as highly secure.
A 21-year-old Kirra man is expected to appear in the Coolangatta Magistrates Court on April 11.
Copyright 2005 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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