Fruit causes airport chaos
By Rosemary Desmond and Vera Devai

CARPET deodoriser sprayed on a pungent Asian fruit caused a full-scale emergency at Brisbane Airport today, delaying a Virgin Blue flight for four hours.

Virgin Blue officials denied they over-reacted.
The incident comes amid claims the Howard Government's anti-terrorism campaign has caused an over-zealous reaction to the actions of idiots.
Brisbane Magistrate Jim Herlihy yesterday suggested idiots were being confused with terrorists in the hysteria whipped up by the "Be Alert But Not Alarmed" advertisements.
But Virgin Blue boss Brett Godfrey today defended the actions of his airline staff who delayed a flight by four hours to remove durian fruit from the cargo hold.          
   
"I don't think in this climate we can be overzealous," he told reporters at Sydney's domestic terminal.
"Serious airlines take safety seriously and we'd like to think we're a very serious airline, so we don't take any chances in this particular climate."
The Virgin Blue aircraft due to take off from Brisbane on a flight to Adelaide was delayed when baggage handlers detected a pungent smell from the plane's cargo hold.
Police and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service were called shortly before 7am (AEST) when the cargo hold had been emptied and located a box containing the smelly fruit.
Mr Godfrey compared the smell of the gourmet fruit to "something you'd find in your outdoor dunny" adding that "it just is the most pungent, disgusting smell".
"I actually walked out onto the tarmac and I could smell it from 50 feet (15 metres) away, it's not pretty," he said.
QFRS senior operations co-ordinator Tom James said the plane was evacuated as hazardous chemicals personnel examined the package.
"There was fruit and herbs or leaves in a box and they have been destroyed," Mr James said.
Police said the owner of the box had tried to disguise the smell of the fruit with carpet deodoriser, which had left a white powder residue.

AAP