Kiwi man Paul Jackson reveals shock at being caught up in 'Isis-linked terror plot'

A New Zealand businessman said the last moments he spent with his three children were on his mind when he learned his flight was the target of the ISIS-inspired terror plot in Sydney.

Paul Jackson, chief executive of Luxury World Group, said he was "concerned and shocked" when he discovered it was his Etihad flight that was supposed to have an explosive device on board.

"I have a wife and three young kids and it occurred to me that when I left them at the airport that could have been the last time I had seen them," he told Daily Mail Australia.

The 46-year-old is father to two-and-a-half year-old twins Jessica and Benjamin, and four-year-old William. They'd accompanied him to the airport in Blenheim to wave him goodbye at the start of his journey.

"After thinking about it, my shock was followed by a sense of relief," he said.

"I am no different to the other 400 passengers who have families who are thanking their lucky stars."

Travelling regularly to Australia and the Middle East owing to his job, he acknowledged the close call would be on his mind, but said he hoped others would not be put off going about their lives.

"I don't want this to prevent anyone from flying - if it does then the terrorists have won," he told the Daily Mail.

He also praised Australian airport security and intelligence agencies, saying that they were worth their weight in gold.

"One should never complain about queues and delays when security is at stake."

Two Sydney men, Khaled and Mahmoud Khayat, have been charged over the alleged plot to blow up the Etihad Airways flight from Sydney to Abu Dhabi. Police believe they intended their younger brother to carry the bomb on board.

They are alleged to have received materials to build an explosive device through the post from an ISIS operative.