Security at airports across Australia is under scrutiny after a man broke into Parafield Airport in Adelaide’s north-east yesterday.

The incident occurred at around 3:30pm, when the man was spotted breaching the perimeter fence and running along the runway. 

Emergency services, such as Star Group officers and the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS), were deployed to the location, but the suspect managed to escape.

An investigation is in progress to ascertain how the individual accessed the secure area. Authorities are scrutinizing all possible entry points, including the airport’s stormwater drainage system.

“Accessing drains is a very simple way of getting into an airport and breaching the security fences,” aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas said.

He labelled the security lapse that allowed the intruder in “grossly irresponsible”.

“It might have been an act of terrorism and in a worst-case scenario, the response group might indeed need to take down the person responsible,” he stated.

The incident has triggered calls for comprehensive security reviews at airports nationwide, including Adelaide Airport. 

“It’s a warning to all airports around Australia to have a very robust review of every access to the interior of the airport no matter how silly it may seem,” Thomas said.

The man who broke into Parafield Airport is yet to be located.