DUBAI (Al Arabiya)
Officials at Britain's Manchester Airport defended a controversial decision to introduce a 'naked scanner' that sees through clothing, arguing it will speed up security, press reports said Wednesday, a move which was likely to cause a stir amongst some who may not like the exposure.
The device, which is currently being tested at the U.K.'s fourth largest airport for the next 12 months, captures a "quite revealing" image of passengers and is aimed at spotting if someone is hiding explosives or weapons, Sky News reported.
" The image is viewed by a highly trained security officer who is sitting in a remote location in the airport " Manchester Airport official The scanner is so accurate it can detect everything from body piercings and breast enlargements to genital outlines, but passengers need not be embarrassed, an airport official said, as the person who views the scanner is "not sitting in the search area and they can't link the image to the individual."
"The image is viewed by a highly trained security officer who is sitting in a remote location in the airport," Manchester Airport's customer relations official, Sarah Barrett, told the British press.
The up side of the invasive scanner is passengers will no longer be frisked in public nor will they have to remove shoes, belts and other clothing that most international airports currently enforce.
“Most passengers do not like the ‘pat down’ service,” Barrett said, adding “the scanner completely takes away the need to undress.”
The scanner, which has been dubbed the 'naked scanner' by press, was tested five years ago at London's Heathrow Airport but at the time passengers were shocked by the clarity of the pictures and officials removed the scanner.
If this trial runs smoothly and is accepted the 'naked scanner' may be implemented across all British airports in the future and according to Sky News airports in the U.S. have already purchased a thousand new scanners, which will be compulsory.
"This technology offers a potential alternative but we know that some people see it as controversial. That's why we are running a trial," Barrett said. |
