Federal transport authorities say high-profile AFL commentator and celebrity fisherman Rex Hunt is "a goat" for sparking a security incident aboard a Qantas flight.

Hunt was detained by police at Melbourne's Tullamarine Airport on Saturday after arriving from Adelaide, where he had been calling the Adelaide-Essendon game for radio station 3AW.

He had produced some metal forks during the flight that he had earlier taken from the Qantas lounge at Adelaide airport, prompting a complaint from a passenger.

A repentant Hunt said he had wanted to point out security flaws on domestic flights after earlier claiming he had been forced to strip in front of hundreds of people at Adelaide airport's security check-in.

But a spokesman for federal Transport Minister John Anderson denied Hunt would have been forced to drop his trousers.

"If we do want to do a check which might offend other passengers it would be done in a separate room," the spokesman said.

"It is very unfortunate that an airline passenger has chosen to act like a complete goat and inconvenience the flight crew, other authorities just doing their jobs and his fellow passengers.

"It is also disappointing that a celebrity seems to believe he is above the law and that regulations for passenger screening should not apply to him."

A spokesman for Adelaide airport also said passengers were not asked to take their pants down in public.

"That is not the procedure," the spokesman said.

"Security people who screen passengers are authorised to do a wider search but that would be done in a separate room, not in a public area."

The airport official was backed up by witnesses who said that after being told to remove his shoes, and then his belt which had a metal buckle, Hunt petulantly dropped his trousers.

A Qantas spokesman said the incident was simply a publicity stunt.

"We have a huge investment in security and we take it seriously but we can't do anything about publicity-seekers," the spokesman said.

Hunt admitted losing control after his security screening in Adelaide.

"My denim jeans were down around my Hush Puppies, my Y-fronts went full view over the flaps of my long-sleeve shirt," Hunt said.

"I was dacked.

"There wasn't a lot of people there at that stage - I reckon about 970 people were there around the security area."

However, he said he "should have taken a breath and said they're only doing their job, which they are".

"I went straight up to Qantas, got a handful of forks and said, I'll just show how easy it is to infiltrate this tight security that I've just been through," Hunt said on 3AW.

After being taken into custody, Hunt said he was questioned for almost half an hour by uniformed police and interrogated later by detectives.

He later said he was embarrassed by the incident and admitted his actions were stupid.

He said he acted out of frustration but "in hindsight, it was as dumb as you would ever, ever get".

Hunt said he was trying to point out flaws in security on Australian domestic flights.

"It was ridiculous that people were given plastic cutlery to eat with onboard the plane when they had access to metal knives and forks," Hunt said.

He said he had several forks on the plane and displayed them, startling another passenger who complained.

However, Hunt denied he had stood up or was brandishing the forks in a threatening way onboard.

He said he was taken into custody by uniformed officers and security officials when the plane landed.

"They questioned me on security and very, very intently on my intent - what was my intent when I boarded that flight," Hunt said.

Hunt wished he could have his time over again and admitted his many critics would be relishing the incident.

"For the Rex Hunt haters, this is going to be a three-course meal - it's going to be bigger than the last supper."