New airport security procedures leave little to the imagination as passengers are asked to perform a "virtual strip" for security staff at Manchester Airport's Terminal 2
Passengers could be revealing more than they bargained for at Manchester Airport over the next 12 months following the launch of a controversial trial that allows security staff to view them “naked” as a means to quickly reveal concealed weapons or explosives.
The introduction of full body imaging technology inside Terminal 2 marks the potential move away from “invasive” pat-down searches, doing away with the removal of coats, belts, shoes and jewellery. But to the horror of some passengers, the new full body x-ray scans will not only reveal whether they are armed with dangerous materials, they will also clearly expose breast enlargements, false limbs and body piercings, together with a sharp black and white outline of their genitals.
“Our passengers tell us that they don’t like being patted down by security staff at airports but they understand that it’s a necessary part of keeping them safe”, says Manchester Airport’s Head of Customer Experience, Sarah Barrett.
“We’re being completely open about how imaging technology works so that passengers can tell us whether it is an acceptable alternative. The images are not erotic or pornographic and they cannot be stored or captured in any way," she says.
Barrett assures that the x-ray process is entirely anonymous, producing only a ghost-like outline of an individual’s body without distinguishing features such as hair or facial features, which makes it impossible to recognise people but simple to detect concealed threats.
Before reaching the security search area, trained airport security officers will give passengers extensive information about imaging technology, before offering them a chance to participate in the trial and after putting them through the traditional metal detector and “pat down” search process.
The scanners, made by RapiScan Systems, cost £80,000 each and have previously been trialled at Heathrow Airport, where they were reportedly very effective. Part of an innovative £25million technology overhaul on Manchester Airport’s security systems, helping it to bag the title of “Airport of the Year” at the 2009 Travel Trade Gazette Awards, the imaging technology works by bouncing x-rays off an individual’s skin to produce an outline image of the person’s body, which is then used to detect concealed, potentially dangerous objects.
This image is transmitted to a remote security officer who has no visual or verbal contact with the area where the imaging machine is located. The security officer viewing the image then electronically confirms if the passenger can proceed, or whether a search is required.
"Passengers can go through this machine 5,000 times a year each without worrying. The amount of radiation transmitted is tiny," says Barrett.
She assures that images cannot be stored or captured after the passenger has passed through the imaging technology and participation in the trials, at this stage, is entirely voluntary. Whether the x-ray booths will become mainstream in all airports will be decided by the UK’s Department for Transport, although it looks likely given that scanners are gradually being rolled out across the US following trials in Los Angeles and New York.
