16th November 2010

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One in the Eye for Manchester Airport as scanners go on trial

A new trial started today where passengers flying from Manchester airport will have their eyes scanned as part of a government backed pilot. Manchester airport was used for the full body scanners trial last year which got the thumbs up from passengers who considered far less intrusive than a physical body search.

The scanners are able to recognise a persons individual iris and once scanned machines will be able to monitor their movements at the airport.Clearly this is aimed at improving security at airports and to speed up check-in by the use of technology.

Initially the machines will be used at check in and again as they enter the secure area but the real use of the equipment will be when passengers are scanned as they enter the plane making it harder for criminals and terrosists to swap bording cards and other means of paper identification

Clearly the end game is that iris recognition will replace paper based checking and allow the airport to monitor the passenger at various points from check-in to desk thus greatly improving the need for human involvement with the endless checking of passports and boarding cards.

Airports are well aware that one of the bug bares of travelling is the time taken with security procedures which are both time consuming and intrusive, taking off belts, emptying pockets of change and removing shoes will hopefully be a thing of the past.

Once you are in the system and approved you are free to go so to speak