Airports to scan all their options

When Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab - infamous now as the 'underwear bomber' - failed in his attempt to down a passenger aircraft over the US on Christmas Day 2009, it wasn't just the ingenious nature of his explosive device that was chilling. It was the fact he smuggled it through airport security.

The US and UK immediately announced they would adopt full-body X-ray scanners in their airports, in a bid to detect bombs covertly stashed on the body of a potential attacker.

The US alone said it would increase the number of such scanners in its airports from 40 to 1,000 in less than two years.

The first order of 500 machines was reported to be worth $530 million - a lucrative boost to manufacturers.

In the Middle East, where a host of new terminals are set to be constructed in the coming years, aviation authorities can build the latest security innovations into their plans, rather than have to upgrade ageing infrastructure.

At the IQPC Aviation Security Summit in Dubai this week, Ahmed Al Haddabi, chief operations officer of the Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC) told industry experts the emirate has factored new X-ray body scanners into its airport security masterplan - but is studying the experience of other nations. The new generation of scanners have attracted controversy, as they enable operators to see through the subject's clothing.

Whether such technology becomes commonplace in the region or not, Al Haddabi expressed concern about the continued viability of the current screening process - which asks travellers to remove belts, shoes and other items.

"Airport security is not about removing your shoes, or taking off your shirt, or your trousers," he said.

Manchester Airport in the UK may offer Abu Dhabi a useful comparison. Its head of group security developments Dave Pendlebury shared the airport's experience of being one of the first to introduce X-ray scanners.

Pendlebury said the move had been a successful one - welcomed by close to 90 per cent of passengers, and cutting the number of travellers physically patted down by security staff from over 30 per cent to less than two per cent.

The new technology makes for a less stressful passenger experience - and actually boosts the airport's business.

"Historically at Manchester, and I think at other airports, security was always put wherever we could find space - it was normally dark, dingy, with no natural light. Why? Because it doesn't make any money for the airport. Why invest in it?" he explained.

But by splashing out on the new scanners, the airport has increased income by processing passengers quicker, and trimming the number of security staff for physical searches.

There is a "robust business case" for introducing the new technology, he said, and his airport made its money back in a year. As Gulf hubs weigh up the cost benefit of adopting X-ray scanners, Manchester already has a clear image of the benefits.

The end of private aviation?

X-ray body scanners have already been the subject of intense controversy.

The fact they see beneath clothing to generate a sharp image of each flyer's body has been sharply criticised by those uncomfortable about baring all to an operator - or where their image might end up. Such concerns could be particularly pertinent in Muslim countries, where modesty is important.

Manchester Airport's Dave Pendlebury says few passengers in the UK have kicked up a fuss. The monochrome images generated by the new scanners don't feature the passenger's face, or skin colour.

The machines don't store images, and staff and operators are frisked for cameras. ADAC's Ahmed Al Haddabi said with a physical search the only alternative to an X-ray scanner, privacy issues will remain.

"So what do you want? Someone to touch your body, or a machine detecting you. Which one is more acceptable or comfortable to you? Is it technology or is manual hand searching?"

It's a question likely to be posed to Gulf air travellers sooner rather than later.