Amsterdam's Schiphol airport is buying 60 additional body scanners. The airport currently has 15 but wants to expand full-body scans in the wake of the failed bombing of a US airliner that departed from Schiphol.
The explosive powder the Nigerian bomber had concealed under his clothes went undetected. Some security analysts believe a body scanner would have detected them. Each of the body scanners costs 150,000 euros. Other countries are also seeking to subject more passengers to body scans.
The news comes as preliminary figures show that the number of travellers passing through Schiphol in 2009 fell by 43,5 million people, a 8,4 percent drop over the preceding year. It is the biggest annual drop ever.
(Photo: ANP)
(Photo: ANP)
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Just think of the expenditure for the scanners as stimulus money for the Netherlands' economy, as this is the coming state of the world for some time to follow.
Concern over cost and privacy have hindered the use of the scanners until now, critics saying they are too intrusive.
After Dutch authorities announced last week they would use the body scanners, Nigeria, Italy, and British airport operator BAA also announced plans to use them.
Frequent flyiers should worry about this. Scanning is X-raying and we know, that too much exposure to these rays is harmful. Who will pick up the tab?
Schiphol is the worst airport in the world!!! They denied me to take 8 oz of milk on board for my infant son, but they let the terrorist board with explosive with no problem. The security personnel are a bunch of brainless idiots and have to be fired all together and replaced by new smart people who are not corrupted and have some critical thinking.
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