“Naked scanners” could become mandatory at airports

Air travellers will still face some delays and cancellations at Pearson Airport today because of the increased security checks, but the situation is improving largely because the busiest part of the mid-holiday travel rush is easing.

Some politicians in the U.S. are now are calling for “whole body scanners” to become mandatory at all airports.

Experts say they would have foiled the Christmas day attempted terrorist attack.

However, the so-called ‘naked scanners’ are being criticized because of the hefty 200-thousand dollar price tag, as well as the invasion of privacy they pose.

One traveller at Pearson told 680News that she would welcome the scanners, saying that having them in airports would make her feel safer.

The scanners were tested at the airport in Kelowna B.C. for six months in 2008 and they have been installed in some U.S. airports including San Francisco, Miami and Las Vegas.

They have also been installed at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport, where the 23-year-old Nigerian boarded the Northwest airline flight on Christmas day.

However, he was not screened by one of them before flying to Detroit.

Ottawa has now called in the RCMP to Pearson Airport, as well as airports in Calgary and Edmonton, to help with passengers security checks.

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