New airport security technology

As more passengers take to the skies and more security regulations come into force, the line up to get through security at the airport just keeps getting longer. While a number of airports in the UK are investing serious money into coping with congestion (£9 billion in the case of BAA), some new technology is also being introduced into European airports which could speed things up.

Four airports in the UK: Gatwick, Birmingham, Heathrow and Manchester have implemented iris-scanning technology to get passengers through immigration faster.  Passengers can sign up in the departures area in a quick process that takes about five minutes. After that, the can bypass some of the waiting lines by merely putting their face to a camera powered by biometric technology. The biometric data links passport information with your iris-patterns and is a quick and secure way to be identified and get through immigration.

An airport security chief has recommended the introduction of body-scanning technology at airports in the UK. This technology uses radio waves to take a picture of a body and quickly identify if that person is hiding metal or explosives under their clothing. The scan takes about three seconds and is much less invasive than the traditional physical frisk performed in airports throughout the UK. The body-scan is being trialled at several airports in Europe but has become a permanent fixture at the security checkpoints in Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam.

Schiphol Airport is one of the most modern airport facilities in Europe and features both body-scanning machines and iris-reading cameras. Passengers at Schiphol have the choice between traditional security and the new technology although lines for the body-scan are much shorter.