AAI plans to install full-body scanners at two airports in India
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The Airports Authority of India (AAI) will soon install full-body scanners at two airports in India.
“We have received two full-body scanners from GE Corp of the US, which we are going to install at two airports on a trial basis. These scanners which work on a millimeter-wave technology, do not compromise with the privacy of a passenger. We want to gauge the acceptability level of passengers before installing them across all airports,” AAI sources told PTI.
The airports where these machines will be deployed or the timeline for installation were not disclosed by the AAI source.
At present, security agencies at the airports use door frame metal detectors and hand-held scanners besides pat-down searches to detect metallic objects.
In 2010, when a full-body scanner was installed on a trial basis at the domestic terminal of the New Delhi airport, the move had met with stiff resistance from passengers, mainly women, citing privacy.
“Each airport will require at least one machine and each scanner costs over INR 1 crore. So this requires huge investment. Moreover, travelers will have to be convinced that these scanners, unlike other such equipments, do not come in the way of their privacy,” the AAI sources said.
So far, none of the 125 AAI-run and five privately-operated airports have such a crucial security equipment.
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