Manchester Airport is having to get rid of its controversial "naked" body scanners because the EU has banned the technology.
The security scanners, which were introduced in October 2009, will be removed by the end of next month and the airport will begin testing a new generation of privacy friendly security scanners.
Airport bosses say they are perplexed that the EU has decided to prohibit their use after a panel of independent European health experts concluded in March that there was no evidence that they posed health risks.
The current body scanners will initially be replaced by five next generation security scanners. In line with Government policy, these include a feature which automatically processes images of passengers, eliminating the need for an airport security officer to view the ghost-like body outlines that made the airport's body scanners famous.
The new machines scan passengers using radio frequency-based millimetre wave technology rather than the low dose x-rays used by the current back scatter body scanners. A computer analyses the scans and tells airport staff where to look for hidden objects using a stick figure diagram.
Andrew Harrison, Chief Operating Officer at M.A.G, Manchester Airport's parent company, said "We're baffled by this situation because health experts say they are safe plus the overwhelming majority of our passengers and security staff prefer body scanners to frisking and it's frustrating that Brussels has allowed this successful trial to end.
"Our security surveys and those run by the Department for Transport show passengers regularly rate their experience at Manchester as one of the best security processes in the UK if not Europe.
"There's no doubt that body scanners play a big part in these results. That's why we are once again investing in new next generation scanner technology where the human examination of images is automated."
Five new security scanners will start to be installed across all three terminals and transfer lounges at Manchester Airport from 1st October 2012 in a trial which is expected to last three months.
Airport bosses are hopeful that the trial will be a success so that it can invest in more machines. In the meantime, an additional 55 full time security staff will be employed.
