TSA to Use New Technology for Passenger, Baggage Screening

Nov. 25--Airline passengers entering screening at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport will soon get zapped with radio waves before getting on flights, according to Transportation Safety Administration officials.

TSA is experimenting with some new technology that can "see" through clothing and examine passengers' body contours.

"We are now screening passengers using more advanced technology," said Dan Palmer, a customer support and stakeholder manager for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration.

Palmer spoke at the Alaska Business Travelers Association meeting at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel on Nov.14.

According to Palmer, the TSA's new screening devices will be used primarily to distinguish Individual Explosive Devices, or IEDs.

The new screenings will use a combination of different types of equipment, according to the level of screening required by the passenger, according to Palmer. The devices are primarily used in secondary screenings in case a person does not pass an initial security screening or is considered high risk.

"For instance, we have a casts scanner for those who are wearing a cast for a broken limb, or a prosthetic device," Palmer said.

The cast scope uses backscatter radar to scan through casts. Other security screening goodies include biometric devices that read eye retina information, fingerprint identification, a stand-up trace portal, and a whole body scanner that looks into as much as one inch of the body from the surface inward. The body scanner uses a radio frequency wave to penetrate clothing.

"This device also has a 'modesty filter' so that agents can't see your private body parts," said Palmer.

Also new is a bottled liquid scanner, which takes a sample of the air in a container and analyzes the contents.

Palmer advised business travelers that new passenger registration acts as a prescreening, but it is available only to certain travelers. Palmer did not elaborate about what the screening would entail due to security reasons.

Palmer suggested that anyone traveling during the holiday season be prepared for delays in security screening. He advised passengers not to over-pack bags.