New Zealand Airports Buy Naked Scanners

New security scanners that strip air travellers naked will be tested in New Zealand this year reports stuff.co.nz. The machines use radio waves to display head-to-toe images of people stripped bare of their clothes, exposing any metal objects, explosive devices, drugs or even diamonds they may have hidden under their clothing.

New Zealand Aviation Security Services said they were buying one of the scanners at a cost of $250,000 (₤96,000) and it would be tested this year before any went live at airports.

Approval to use the scanners would be needed from the Civil Aviation. While several airports around the world are testing the scanners, Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is the only airport using one.

New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties chairman Michael Bott said the scanners offered an alternative to frisking. He said the majority of travellers should not be subjected to the indignity of the technology.

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines said the scanners were voluntary and quicker than the manual metal detector and body search process, taking just three seconds to complete.

For privacy, the images were viewed by security personnel in an adjacent room and deleted after they were viewed. Passengers’ heads were blurred to further protect their identity.

Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport is one of the world’s most modern airports, offering iris-scanners for those who want to bypass passport control, self-help check-in kiosks and luggage dropoff counters for international passengers.