Women banned from flight after refusing body scan
04.03.10
Two female passengers were stopped from boarding a flight at Manchester Airport after they refused to undergo a full body scan, the BBC reports. They were due to fly to Islamabad on February 19 when they were chosen at random to go through the new so-called 'naked' scanner. One, who is reported to be Muslim, refused for religious reasons and the other cited medical concerns. They are thought to be the first people to refuse to use the scanners since they become obligatory in February.
Security staff at airports use the X-ray machine to test for any concealed weapons or explosives, but they have been criticised as an invasion of privacy. The machines were introduced as a part of a trial at the airport last October, which was stepped up after an attempted terror attack on a US bound flight on Christmas day.
The women were told they were legally required to undergo the scan, after being chosen at random, or they may not fly, an airport spokesman said. It is not clear whether the women had been travelling together.
A Manchester Airport spokesman told the BBC: 'Two female passengers who were to fly from Terminal 2 refused to be scanned for medical and religious reasons. In accordance with the Government directive on scanners, they weren't permitted to fly.'
'Body scans are a big change for our passengers and we are conscious of their privacy worries. We have strict processes in place to reassure them that their privacy will be protected. The women forfeited their right to travel and left the airport.'
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