Passengers warned 'no body scan, no flight'
02.02.10
Passengers at Heathrow and Manchester airports selected to go through full body scanners before boarding their flights - including children - will not be allowed to fly if they refuse the scan under new rules introduced yesterday. It is now compulsory for people selected for a full body scan to take part, or they will be banned from their flight.
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 announces it will buy 1000 full body scanners for its airports. The scanners were introduced at Heathrow and Manchester airports yesterday and will be installed at Birmingham Airport later in the month. Manchester Airport will 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 airline passengers would be selected for scanning. 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, have caused concerns among human rights campaigners who fear an invasion of passengers' privacy, as well as the disproportionate scrutiny of Muslim travellers by authorities. However, the Department of Transport has published an interim code of practice covering privacy, health and safety, data protection and equality, which it believes 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 to be applied in the use of scanners, with a view to producing a final code of practice as soon as it practical.
Add to: del.icio.us | Digg it | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
To book heathrow airport hotel or heathrow airport car park at the lowest price, click on these links to two great heathrow airport car parking and heathrow airport hotel price comparison pages.
