Heathrow Airport will install full-body scanners that can see under passengers’ clothing as soon as possible, according to the Cheapflights UK news blog.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown gave the g0-ahead for full-body scanners in Britain’s airports in the wake of the failed Christmas Day bombing attempt of Northwest Airlines flight 253.
The Prime Minister had promised a “gradual” introduction of the scanners in response to the Detroit terror scare, in which a man smuggled explosives through Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Britain’s main airport operator BAA says it has ordered full-body scanners and would introduce them as soon as possible throughout British airports. BAA owns and operates seven UK airports that handle 92 percent of travelers to and from the London area.
Full-body scanners were already on trial at Manchester Airport prior to the failed Detroit terror attack, and had previously been tested at Heathrow between 2004 and 2008. They are already in place at 19 airports across the US, including major hubs such as New York JFK and Los Angeles LAX.
© Cheapflights Ltd (Creative Commons image: Hyougushi)
