OIA23 037 Appendix one Redacted.pdf

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2.  Prior to the travel restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the international
aviation system generally worked well. Although there were times of stress, these
were generally not sustained. The success of the overall system is attributed to airport
resources and space aligning with passenger demand, along with passengers being
familiar with travel requirements and processes.

3.  In the last eight weeks during the build up to the busy summer period significant  1982
delays at peak times have been experienced by passengers at airports around New
Zealand. The passenger experience can have a significant impact on how compliant
passengers are and how wil ing they are to declare for biosecurity. Passengers
experiencing delays on arrival are more disgruntled when they reach Biosecurity Ne
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Zealand’s staff. We need to ensure that the passenger processing that Biosecurity
New Zealand is responsible for is working as efficiently as possible or we risk losing
the social licence needed by Quarantine Officers to ask probing questions to
understand the biosecurity risk posed by the passenger and their baggage.

4.  Returning to pre-COVID-19 operational performance levels has been challenging in
the airport environment for a number of reasons:
a)  flights not arriving at scheduled times;
b)  low numbers of baggage handlers causing delays to baggage arriving on
carousals;
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c)  resourcing constraints across the airport campus, especially customer service
staff, baggage handlers and queue facilitators;
d)  flow on issues as delays in parts of the airport system outside of our control
result in passenger numbers changing erratically and make predicting resource
requirements difficult;
e)  serious mishandled baggage issues resulting in around 2,000 items of luggage
arriving without passengers every month;
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f)
ongoing construction in the Auckland International Airport processing area
reducing the size of the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) operational area by
30 percent; and
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g)  new Quarantine Officers and dog handlers are currently being recruited to meet
resourcing requirements whilst existing recent recruits are being upskil ed.
s9(2)(g)(i)
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Biosecurity New Zealand is implementing initiatives to improve processing at airports

6.  Resourcing: MPI is currently recruiting staff. Sixty-four quarantine officers have been
recruited this year and recruitment wil  continue into 2023 to build up the Border
Clearance Services workforce.

7.  Maximise space: Risk Assessment podiums at Auckland Airport have increased from
nine to 11 and queues have been reconfigured to separate passengers with
something to dec
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risk passengers more efficiently.

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8.  Upskil ing: At Auckland airport, assistant staff contracted by MPI are being upskilled
so that they can provide additional support to Quarantine Officers. These staff wil  be
trained to engage with passengers in the search area; determining which bags contain
risk goods, unpacking these products ready for a Quarantine Officer to inspect, and
assisting passengers to repack baggage and some administrative tasks related to
searching baggage.

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9.  Longer term initiatives: We are focussing on longer term initiatives to provide a
seamless and efficient entry for passengers and their luggage. We are working to
further automate the detection of potential risk to New Zealand. The work includes:
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a)  the New Zealand Traveller Declaration that wil  digitise the arrival card by June
2023 and facilitate incremental improvements that reduce interactions with
passengers without compromising biosecurity risk management; and
b)  Long-term development and testing of algorithms in baggage scanning for
biosecurity risk.

Express Lanes

MPI has successfully implemented Express Lanes to improve passenger flow and maintain
biosecurity.

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10.  We have reviewed the passenger processing operating model and incorporated an
Express Lane for low-risk passengers with nothing to declare. These passengers can
occupy an amount of resource disproportionate to their risk and it is an opportunity to
more efficiently target our border resources and improve processing times.

11.  Express Lanes are currently operating in all International airports; Auckland,
Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown, with a detector dog present to verify
passengers and luggage before the exit.
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12.  Over the last four weeks the Auckland Airport processed 115,637 passengers through
the Express Lane and the Detector Dogs intercepted items from 43 passengers. This
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equates to a 99.96 percent compliance rate, this is in excess of the performance
standard for the passenger pathway which is 98.5 percent.

13.  The current express lane process is:
a)  al  arriving passengers self-select either the “Something to Declare” or the
“Nothing to Declare” lane, which is in line with what wil  be required of
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passengers using the digital arrival card due in July next year;
b)  al  passengers present to risk assessment where a Quarantine Officer questions
them on declarations made on their Passenger Arrival Card;
c)  the Quarantine Officer at risk assessment determines whether to direct the
passenger to the Express Lane, to the x-ray or to the search bench. This kind of
risk assessment has consistently ensured high compliance rates for passengers
across many years; and
d)  the criteria a Quarantine Officer uses for their decision to send a passenger to
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the Express Lane include:
i.
confirm passenger knows the contents of their bag;
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b)
only low-risk passengers wil  be allowed to use the express lane when a detector
dog is not operating. This wil  be determined using intel igence from passenger
seizures and Passenger Compliance Monitoring Results, with only passengers
from demographics with a rate of 0.2 percent or less undeclared seizures
meeting the criteria for express lane. This wil  be based on pre COVID-19 data
as well as current trends. It is expected that this will apply to most passengers on
short business trips from low-risk destinations such as Australia and the United
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Kingdom; and
c)
a Senior Quarantine Officer wil  be positioned on the express lane to conduct
randomised secondary assessments and redirect passengers to x-ray or search
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if required. This is to provide a second level of assurance that only low-risk
passengers are proceeding through the Express Lane and to ensure that lost or
misdirected passengers cannot bypass biosecurity processing.
19. Each airport wil  have a detailed operating plan for implementing an Express Lane
without a dog. A trial stage wil  be carried out at each airport after which time the
processing data wil  be reviewed to ensure it is performing at a high standard. From
here assuming the trial is successful a gradual roll out wil  be planned specific to each
site. Underpinning this wil  be the assurance survey to monitor the compliance rate.
Assurance
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20. Passenger Compliance Monitoring: The processes and procedures implemented to
manage biosecurity risk at our international airports are informed by intelligence and
data collected from seizures and our Passenger Compliance Monitoring survey.
Passenger Compliance Monitoring is a random survey of passengers carried out by
specifical y trained Quarantine Officers throughout the year. Passengers are selected
at the end of the biosecurity process for a full intensive baggage inspection to identify
any missed biosecurity risk items (slippage).
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21. Seizures made as part of this survey can be traced back through the system to identify
which exit route the traveller took (including dog presence or roving Quarantine Officer
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for Express Lane), enabling us to determine which demographics are low-risk and can
be safely sent through an Express Lane.
Implementation
22. We wil  continue to monitor the number of passengers being directed through the
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Express lanes, and the rate of non-compliance detected, and adjust the settings
around the express lanes accordingly. We wil  provide weekly reporting to you on
numbers and non-compliance rates through your weekly report.
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/ 2022
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The following pages are withheld in full under 2(g)(i)
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Appendix One

From:
Louise Kay (Louise)
To:
s9(2)(a)
Cc:
Michael Inglis
Subject:
RE: Minister O"Connor Officials meeting - actions arising 12 December 2022
Date:
Wednesday, 14 December 2022 3:50:40 PM
Hi Matt
In relation to the topics highlighted below:
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OTP: All International Airports are experiencing issues with poor airline on-time performance
(OTP).  As 47% of flights do not arrive on time, this significantly impacts queues and processing.
In Auckland, interagency teams have been stood up to manage peaks through summer with daily
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reporting and updates in the Ministers Weekly Report.  There is also an operational decision
making structure set up and an Airport Operation Centre (IPOC).  There are also actions from the
cross-agency Working Group to improve OTP as well as better queue facilitation across peak
times.
MHB: The volume of mishandled bags compared to pre-covid has significantly increased.  For
example, the industry standard for mishandled luggage is 6 to 8 per 1000 passengers – Ground
Handlers at Auckland Airport are currently dealing with some carriers where it is upwards of 200
items per 1000 passengers.  MPI is working with Auckland Airport to help process mishandled
luggage.  s9(2)(f)(iv)
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Challenges: Common issues identified by airports are likely to be heightened over the summer
period.  This includes fractious travellers abusing staff, low staffing levels, another wave of COVID
leading to longer wait times or reduced service levels, and lost bags/queuing.
Express Lane: To improve passenger flow and maintain biosecurity, MPI implemented an express
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lane for low-risk passengers with nothing to declare in October 2022.  Express lanes are currently
operating in all international airports (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown),
with a detector dog present to verify passengers and luggage before exiting.
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Please advise if you require any further information.
Ngā mihi
Louise
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Summary of Concerns

3.  Mishandled Baggage: The volume of mishandled baggage (MHB) compared to
pre-COVID-19 has significantly increased resulting in congestion in baggage halls. For
example, the industry standard for mishandled luggage has gone from six to eight per
1000 passengers to upwards of 200 items per 1000 passengers for some carriers. For
November 2022, there were ~1250 MHB bags per week compared to 150 to 200   1982
pre-COVID-19. The reason for this increase is mainly due to a failure by airlines to
carry bags alongside passengers; reasons for this include resourcing issues,
commercial pressures, or fuel issues resulting in loadings on planes not being safe.

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4.  An estimated 50 percent of passengers are not completing a Property Irregularity
Report (PIR) upon arrival. If this form is not presented by the passenger to MPI it
means we are required to complete a full search on these bags, as no risk
assessment is able to be completed to match the passenger to their bag (i.e. we are
unable to question the passenger about their baggage in the normal manner). The
process of clearing mishandled baggage, and the ability of a passenger to clear the
airport quicker, is significantly enhanced if these forms are completed by passengers
prior to arrival at the baggage carousel/BNZ desks.

5.  Staff Resourcing: The AIAL claims there are an estimated 1600 vacant positions
across the Auckland Airport precinct along with high levels of staff absence dr
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increased il ness, fatigue and mandatory stand-down periods. The AIAL CE mentioned
that companies contracted by airlines to manage many aspects of aircraft ground
processing, including the handling of baggage, are severely short staffed leading to
delays in bags being offloaded. MPI does not have a staffing shortage.

6.  Airline On-Time Performance (OTP): All our international Airports are experiencing
issues with poor airline on-time performance. In Auckland an average of 43 percent of
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flights arrive on time, which causes ongoing operational issues.

MPI: Present Position and Actions Being Taken

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7.  Mishandled Baggage: Although it is the airlines’ responsibility when they choose to
communicate with their passengers, MPI is seeking assurance that airlines
communicate to passengers if they are unable to load their baggage. If airlines notify
passengers of their bags not being on the flight, it avoids them having to wait at the
baggage carousel in vain and means the passenger wil  move through the baggage
and biosecurity clearance ar
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representatives present 24/7 to notify passengers prior to the carousel and to assist
the passenger complete a PIR before they get to us.

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12.  Other Airport Staffing: Staffing levels at Queenstown and Wellington are back to
pre-COVID-19 levels (with the exception of one less detector dog team in Wellington).
Christchurch have recruited another five officers and Queenstown have just warranted
another four officers. Like Auckland, there is the challenge of upskil ing our newly
warranted officers.

13.  On Time Performance: The percentage of flights that arrive on time continues to  1982
remain low at around 43 percent, causing ongoing operational system issues. MPI has
no control over flight arrival times and staff are rostered to cover scheduled flight
arrival times. The daily inter-agency meetings are having a positive effect and have
influenced better data sharing (and quality) to focus on actual arrivals (not planned
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and off-schedule), so resourcing can be more deliberately deployed. This now forms
part of a leadership structure to ensure clear lines of accountability and decision
making (Airport Operation Centre). AIAL have been requested to make decisions to
stagger passengers off-boarding planes to limit the numbers of passengers within the
baggage hall at any one time – we have not yet had a positive response to these
requests.

Other Actions

14.  Express Lane: The express lane was introduced in October 2022 for low-risk
passengers with nothing to declare, initially in Auckland (and it has had a
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99.96 percent compliance rate). Risk assessors base their decision to direct
passengers down the express lane on biosecurity threat, passenger declaration and
questioning. Express lanes are now operating in all international airports (Auckland,
Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown).

15.  Queue Management: The average MPI processing performance for the previous
week in Auckland has improved from 63 percent to 70 percent of passengers being
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processed in 16 minutes (target is 85 percent). This change correlates with recent
initiatives such as the introduction of two additional risk assessment desks, additional
queue facilitators, and an improved queue layout which includes contingency
queueing for passengers with som
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Summary

16.  We wil  continue to reassess all of the above measures and staff deployment daily
throughout the 2022/2033 summer period and adjust measures and settings
accordingly.  UNDER

17.  We wil  provide you with a further update during the week of 9 January.

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MO23-0012
x
We have worked with AIAL to increase MPI bench/search space by reconfiguring the
baggage storage room for a better search process and storage (see image 1 below).
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We have provided AIAL information to set-up an offsite Transitional Facility option.
This could be an option to store uncleared bags if required, which will relieve
bottlenecks on the airport premises.

Some MHB may  require inspection following x-ray and these are held when the baggage
handler is unable to get the key/code to open the bags or permission from the passenger to 1982
cut the locks.  Biosecurity New Zealand is not responsible for matching the bag with the
owner. It is the responsibility of the baggage handler staff at baggage tracing to provide the
paperwork and have the bags unlocked, ready for inspection.
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1.  Reconfigured baggage storage room                    2. AIAL temporary racking

AIAL instal ed temporary racking in the arrivals hal   on 23 December to help store
mishandled bags s9(2)(b)(ii)
to assist baggage handlers (see image 2 above).

A meeting between BNZ and BARNZ Senior Leaders on Monday 9 January discussed
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process improvements to dispose of abandoned MHB (i.e. over 90 days) and that BNZ will
only clear MHB matched to a passenger.  Mike Inglis is also meeting Jetstar/Qantas Senior
Leadership on 17 January to influence greater ownership and responsibility.

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A governance group has been set up to meet weekly led by BARNZ to ensure continued
management oversight of the MHB issue. This group will also look to ensure performance
statistics are available  for the whole system.

Property Irregularity Report (PIR)
If a passenger does not complete a PIR upon arrival, this means we are required to complete
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a full search on the MHB as  no risk assessment can be done to match the passenger to their
bag (i.e. we are unable to question the passenger about their baggage in the normal
manner).  An estimated 30 percent of passengers with MHB are not completing a PIR
because some baggage handler counters in the arrival hal  are not staffed at al  times.

The airline at the departing airport should notify their baggage handler representative in
Auckland on any MHB, and they need to prepare 3 copies of the PIR (one for the passenger,
Biosecurity New Zealand and the baggage handler). On arrival, the passenger goes to the
baggage handler counter in the arrival hal   and is given al  three copies of the PIR. The
passenger then goes to Biosecurity New Zealand’s risk assessment desk and the officer will
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make notes on the PIR if any declared risk goods that are in the MHB.

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MO23-0012
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Biosecurity Respect Visuals BNZ Staff clearing MHB
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