The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced that it will introduce the latest security scanning system at Los Angeles International (LAX) and New York’s John F Kennedy International (JFK).
Currently in use at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the new scanners use millimetre-wave technology to scan passengers.
The pilot at JFK and LAX will allow TSA officers to detect any concealed items without the need for a physical pat-down.
Kip Hawley, TSA Administrator, said: “The use of whole body imaging is a significant step forward in checkpoint technology.
“By expanding the use of millimeter wave, we are providing our officers with another tool to enhance security and protect the public from evolving threats.”
At Sky Harbor the scanners have been used as a voluntary alternative to the pat-down traditionally applied as a secondary security check after passing through a metal detector.
The TSA says that when asked to choose, 90 percent of passengers have opted to use the machines instead of undergoing a physical search.
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