European doubts on full body scanners

Nearly half (45%) of European travel buyers said their travellers were "concerned" about full body scanners now being installed in airports around the world, according to an  Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTEAssociation of Corporate Travel Executives: A non-profit association that represents the global business travel industry. It provides executive-level educational programmes and carries out independent industry research. Its members come from all areas of business travel - from corporate buyers to suppliers. Provides members with a forum for sharing ideas and also offers independent advice. ) survey.

The study's findings, shared exclusively with ABTN, showed that 20% of those opposed to scanners thought it was an invasion of privacy, another 20% thought there were health implications and 10% thought the process was too time consuming.

And another 40% objected to the new security measures on all three counts.

Some 70 ACTE members took part in the survey.

A similar survey of 100 travel buyers in America found there was less concern about scanners with just 28% expressing doubts.

The European survey found that a quarter of buyers wanted:

• security officials to do a better job to meet traveller concerns on health and privacy
• more testing of the new devices
• the machines to be part of an overall security initiative which so far did not exist.

One in ten buyers thought travellers would have to get used to them while 15% sad it was so far too early to tell.

In a telling response, 60% of buyers said they thought security agencies were putting too much stock in electronic measures.

ACTE summed up the European response as being more clear cut than that in America.

The organisation said there was "plenty of room for improvement with the first generation of full body scanners, in testing, and in public awareness regarding potential health issues" and that "travellers are not inclined to simply accept a government statement that they are ‘safe' without harmful affects."

ACTE said there was no serious indication in either poll that travelers "would limit trips based on current exposure levels to this technology".

www.acte.org