Airport security still waiting to take off

The Government should introduce more varied, proactive, improved and less predictable security measures at airports, a report by MPs said today.

Passengers and terrorists should not know what security regime they will face when they arrive for flights, the report by the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee added.

The report revealed that the Government had said new full-body scanners at airports are currently only around 50-60 per cent effective at detecting threats.

Newer and improved scanners are needed, said the MPs who added that privacy concerns over the scanners had been “overstated”.

The committee cautiously recommended the use of profiling in the fight against aviation terrorism, but conceded that its use is “fraught with danger”.

The committee also said the Government should be more willing to refuse direct flights from countries not meeting tougher international security standards and should provide more equipment and training to airports across the globe.

The committee’s Labour chairman Keith Vaz said: “The threat to air passengers from terrorists is very real.

“Those who would do us harm are constantly evolving new ways to try to commit atrocities.”