MPs battle to scrap manual security checks at airports in favour of time-saving technology

14th July 2011

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Security measures at airports such as removing shoes and belts or taking a laptop out of its carry-case could soon be phased out in a bid to reduce passenger queues.

A walk in the right direction? Transport Secretary Philip Hammond is pushing the EU to reduce time-consuming security measures at airports

Whitehall is said to be considering scrapping removing the time-consuming 'one approach for all' manual checks and introducing better technology to do a similar job instead.

Feet first: Travellers at UK airports currently have to put shoes through metal detectors

Airports will be encouraged to invest in more advanced screening devices including body scanners by Transport Secretary Philip Hammond, who is set to unveil the new measures to MPs shortly.
Aviation minister Theresa Villiers  told the Daily Telegraph: 'What we are looking for is a better security outcome and we want this done in a more passenger-friendly way.'

It is hoped the move will help to shave the amount of time passengers are forced to wait in security queues before boarding a flight. Airports have to pay rebates to carriers if they hold passengers up for too long.

The European Union currently requires that every passenger passes through a metal detector, a measure that the British Government has been pushing to relax in favour of introducing hi-tech scanners.
Such a move is likely to be considered bold by the EU and lobbying to stop smaller measures such as requiring passengers to remove footwear may be a more achievable aim.
The advent of shoe scanners - already in use in Brussels and currently being tested in the U.S. - is one such way which manual checks could be made redundant.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-2014670/Airport-security-UK-government-pushes-time-saving-measures.html#ixzz1S6eeUbog