Passengers told 'no scan, no flights'

02.02.10

Passengers at Heathrow and Manchester airports selected to go through full body scanners will not be allowed to fly if they refuse the scan, under new rules introduced yesterday. It is now compulsory for anyone selected for a full body scan to recieve one, or they will be banned from flying.

The new security measures have been introduced following the attempt to blow up a plane over Detroit on Christmas Day, and come as the US Government announced it will buy 1000 of the full body scanners to deploy at its airports. The scanners were introduced at Heathrow and Manchester airports yesterday and will be installed at Birmingham Airport later this month. Manchester Airport will also get additional scanners so that all of its terminals are covered by the end of February.

Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said in the immediate future only a small proportion of passengers will be selected for scanning - mostly because the airports do not have enough of the machines to scan more than this. However, in a written statement to the Commons he said: ‘If a passenger is selected for scanning, and declines, they will not be permitted to fly.’

The scanners, which see through clothes to produce an image of the body 'nakes', have caused concerns among human rights activists over invasion of privacy, as well as the likely disproportionate scrutiny of Muslim travellers. The Department of Transport has published an interim code of practice covering privacy, health and safety, data protection and equality, which it says addresses these issues.

Lord Adonis said: ‘The code will require airports to undertake scanning sensitively, having regard to the rights of passengers.’ He added that the Government would launch a public consultation on the rules, with a view to producing a final code of practice as soon as it practical.

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