Manchester airport asks passengers to bare all - Airport Hotels,Travel Airport News

Airport news for Airport Hotels,Travel on 15/10/2009.

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For many people, the idea of being seen naked in public might sound like a nightmare. However, at Manchester Airport this has now become a reality, as a new x-ray machine is being tried out.

If accepted, the new X-ray machine should make the check-in process much faster and will reveal hidden weapons and explosives that may be missed in a traditional pt down search. However, the full body scanner also reveals body enhancements such as false limbs and breast enlargement, as well as showing the full shape of passengers’ bodies.

Although the idea of airport staff being able to see naked images of them may sound unappealing to some people, some may actually prefer it to the current system. Sarah Barrett is head of customer experience at Manchester Airport. In a recent interview she revealed that most passengers disliked the current pat-down security check. She hopes that passengers will appreciate that the new scanner method will mean that travelers would not need to be patted-down, or even remove articles or clothing like belts, coats and shoes.

She is keen to assure traveler that the images are in no way erotic or pornographic, and adds that there is no way they could be stored or captured.

In response to the idea that the x-ray machine may be harmful, Ms Barrett adds that Ms Barrett has said that travelers could pass through the scanner check thousands of times a year and not be at all affected, because they are “super safe”.

The good news – at least for now -- is that passengers do not have to pass through the x-ray machine if they do not wish to. It is an optional procedure during this trial period, and anyone who feels shy about being caught naked on a screen can choose the traditional pat down search instead.

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