Travelers flying out of Fort Wayne International Airport were subject to more thorough security screening Friday.
Transportation Security Administration officials demonstrated the new full-body scanner while assuring passengers the new security device will not be invasive or dangerous.
Fort Wayne International is the second airport in the state and 25th in the U.S. to have the scanner installed. TSA began the full nationwide rollout of the scanners this spring. Most major U.S. airports are expected to have body scanners by the end of the year, the TSA says.
The scanner, which was to be fully activated Friday, is intended to help detect weapons or explosives on passengers, said David Kane, federal security director for Indiana airports.
The scanner uses millimeter-wave technology, which emits about 10,000 times less energy than is permitted for a mobile phone. Each device costs between $130,000 and $170,000, the TSA says.
The scanner has created concerns over privacy that Kane tried to address. He said that employees who see the images never see the passenger, and employees who work with the passenger don’t see the images. The images are deleted immediately after they are viewed.
The scan takes a few seconds, but the entire security review process lasts about 20 seconds, so employees in a private room can examine the scanned images.
Tory Richardson, airport director, said the vast majority of Fort Wayne passengers who were informally asked about the scanners did not express concerns.
Kane said people can opt out of getting scanned, but those who do will be required to walk through a standard metal detector, then be patted down by a TSA employee.
Passengers are encouraged to remove everything from their pockets, and to take off jewelry and belts to expedite the scan process. Passengers whose scans show an anomaly are taken aside until TSA confirms the item is safe.
