Air passengers allowed to refuse body security scans at airports

Air passengers can now refuse to go through a security scanner on health grounds or privacy reasons, just as the government introduces such scanners at 11 further airports.

But passengers refusing to go through a scanner will have to submit to a private search by security staff.

Previously, those refusing to go through scanners were not allowed to fly, as private searches took time and could potentially slow security queues. Security scanners are currently in operation at 10 of the UK’s largest airports. They were deployed in response to the threat to aviation posed by non-metallic improvised explosive devices.