A Papua New Guinean woman has been removed from a flight to Brisbane from Port Moresby after a gun wass found in her make up bag.
It has been revealed the incident happened last week.
The National newspaper reports the gun was not uncovered by metal detectors, but found later by officials who searched the woman's carryon luggage in the departure lounge.
Airport officials say the woman had a firearms licence, but she had failed to declare the gun to Air Niugini and Civil Aviation Authority officials, as required by law.
An Air Niugini official says if the woman had got the gun into Australia it would have spelt disaster for international flights into and out of PNG.
