Airport trials ‘naked’ scanner
13.10.09
A trial of an X-ray machine that produces ‘naked’ images of passengers has started at Manchester Airport. The airport says the machine will speed up security checks by quickly revealing any concealed weapons or explosives and avoiding the need for passengers to take coats, belts and shoes off. But the full body scans show up breast enlargements, body piercings and a clear black-and-white outline of passengers' private parts.
The scanners are made by RapiScan Systems and cost £80,000 each. They work by beaming electromagnetic waves on to passengers while they stand in a booth. A virtual 3D image is then created from the reflected energy. The scanners have already been tried in New York, Los Angeles and at Heathrow.
Sarah Barrett, head of customer experience at Manchester Airport, said the black and white image would only be seen by one officer in a remote location before it is deleted. She said: ‘The images are not erotic or pornographic and they cannot be stored or captured in any way.’
Passengers can refuse to be scanned. The Department for Transport will decide whether to install the scanners permanently in about a year's time.
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