Body scanners to be mandatory at all airports in 2 years; Here’s what they can see

New Delhi, Sug 29: Going throught the airport security check is necessary and a safety test in the flying process for the passengers. Recently, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), on Thursday said that it will make body scanners mandatory in all major airports in a year and at all airports across India in the next two years.

There are 24 international airports and 101 domestic airports in the country. Twenty-eight are classified as hypersensitive, including those in major cities and conflict zones like Jammu and Kashmir or the northeastern region.

What is a Full body scanner?

A full-body scanner is a device that detects objects on a person's body for security screening purposes, without physically removing clothes or making physical contact.

What do airport body scanners see?

Depending on the technology used, the operator may see an alternate-wavelength image of the person's naked body, or merely a cartoon-like representation of the person with an indicator showing where any suspicious items were detected.

The scanner software also recognizes metallic and non-metallic items hiding under clothing.

For privacy and security reasons, the display is generally not visible to other passengers, and in some cases is located in a separate room where the operator cannot see the face of the person being screened.

Where was it first used?

Schiphol in the Netherlands was the first airport in the world to implement this device on a large scale after a test with flight personnel the previous year. On May 15, 2007 two of 17 purchased security scans were installed.

In Canada 24 airports currently have these scanners in use. Passengers selected for a secondary search can choose between the full body scanner or a physical search.