Body Scanners At Budapest Airport: What To Expect

Yes, Budapest Airport does have body scanners. In fact, the airport has been commended for its use of new technology to improve the experience of passengers passing through security. Laptops and tablets no longer need to be removed from hand baggage, and the latest body scanners mean that passengers do not need to remove their belts and shoes.

Body scanners at Budapest Airport

Budapest Airport complies with all local and international aviation security and safety regulations. All passengers and their hand luggage must undergo security screening before departure.

In 2024, Budapest Airport introduced new technology that allows security controllers to screen large electronic devices inside passengers' bags. This means that laptops, tablets, cameras, and hairdryers can remain in hand luggage during screening. Liquids, aerosols, and gels (LAGs) must still be removed from hand luggage and screened separately.

In 2019, the CEO of Budapest Airport, Dr. Rolf Schnitzler, announced that the airport had purchased brand new body scanners as part of a series of developments to make air travel and security screening more convenient, faster, and hassle-free. The body scanners used at Budapest Airport are safe and have no detrimental impact on health. They use millimeter-wave technology, which is non-ionizing and therefore suitable for personnel surveillance. The waves go through clothing and reflect off the skin, bouncing back an image that is interpreted by the machine. The machine detects metallic and non-metallic threat items.

The body scanners provide a nondescript avatar image of the human anatomy, with a generic human form that looks like a gingerbread man or paper doll. This is to ensure passenger privacy while maintaining security effectiveness. The operator sees alerts on this generic mannequin, helping them to locate suspicious items without revealing personal details of the inspected passenger.

Safety of the scanners

The body scanners used to screen passengers at Budapest Airport are safe and have no detrimental impact on health. The scanners do not affect devices such as pacemakers. The airport's state-of-the-art X-ray machines, used for screening hand baggage, also do not pose any health risks and do not damage objects like celluloid photographs.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has deployed two types of full-body scanners in U.S. airports: millimeter wave scanners and backscatter X-ray scanners. The former emits extremely low-energy waves, delivering a small fraction of the energy of a cell phone, while the latter utilizes very low-dose X-rays, similar to those used in medical imaging. The TSA has implemented several measures to ensure passenger privacy, including blurring faces in images and keeping screening personnel separate from passengers.

The potential harm caused by ionizing radiation, such as that used in backscatter X-ray scanners, depends on the dose. At low doses, radiation causes biological damage that cells can repair rapidly. At moderate doses, cells can be permanently changed, leading to cancer or abnormalities. However, the doses of ionizing radiation emitted by backscatter X-ray scans are exceedingly low, and the risk of health effects is considered trivial. According to the TSA, an individual would need to undergo more than 50 airport scans to equal the exposure of a single dental X-ray.

In the context of air travel, the scan will increase an individual's radiation exposure by less than 1%. The risk of health effects from backscatter X-ray systems and millimeter wave machines is very low. Passengers who are concerned about radiation exposure are not required to walk through these machines and can opt for a pat-down search instead.

Privacy concerns

While body scanners are used to ensure the safety of passengers, they have also raised concerns about privacy. The scanners generate extremely detailed and revealing images of those screened, showing outlines of genitalia, breasts, buttocks, fat creases, prosthetics, catheters, and piercings.

To address these privacy concerns, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States has implemented several measures. They have introduced technology that blurs the images of the face, installed software to make the images less provocative, and used software that displays a chalk outline of the subjects. Additionally, they have separated the security personnel who view the images from the passengers, ensuring that screeners never see passengers directly. The TSA has also made it impossible for scanners deployed in airports to save or export images.

Despite these measures, there have been reports of tens of thousands of scanner images being improperly saved and disseminated, raising doubts about the effectiveness of these privacy protections. Religious groups, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the Electronic Privacy and Information Center (EPIC) have protested the use of these scans, with EPIC filing a lawsuit alleging that the scans violate the Fourth Amendment, the Privacy Act, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act.

In response to these concerns, Budapest Airport has taken steps to balance security measures with passenger privacy. They have invested in new technology that allows laptops and other large electronic devices to remain inside passengers' bags during screening, improving convenience and reducing physical contact during security checks. Additionally, Budapest Airport has purchased new body scanners that prioritize passenger privacy while maintaining security effectiveness. These scanners use Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) and provide a nondescript avatar image of the human anatomy, ensuring that security personnel only see a generic human form with a "clear" or "stop and check" signal. Passengers can also see the viewing monitor throughout the screening process, maintaining transparency.

What the scanners can detect

Body scanners at Budapest Airport use state-of-the-art X-ray machines to screen passengers and their hand baggage. The body scanners are safe and have no detrimental impact on health, nor do they damage devices such as pacemakers.

Body scanners can detect objects on or inside a person's body for security screening purposes, without physically removing clothes or making physical contact. They can detect non-metal objects, such as explosive materials and ceramic weapons, which metal detectors may miss. Some scanners can also detect swallowed items or items hidden in body cavities.

The scanners use non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation in the extremely high frequency (EHF) radio band, which is a lower frequency than visible light. The health risks posed by these machines are still being studied, and the evidence is mixed. However, millimeter-wave scanners do not generate ionizing radiation.

In addition to metallic and non-metallic threat items, body scanners may also detect:

• Thick hair, especially if it's in a braid or bun
• Hair clips
• Body piercings
• Wire supports in undergarments
• External tumors
• Sweat (due to how millimeter waves bounce off water)

Alternative security screening

Security screening is an essential aspect of air travel, and airports like Budapest Airport are committed to ensuring the safety and convenience of passengers. While the traditional security screening process involves passing through metal detectors or advanced imaging technology, alternative methods are sometimes necessary.

Millimeter Wave Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT)

Used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), this technology screens passengers for metallic and non-metallic threats, including weapons and explosives, without physical contact. It uses non-ionizing radio-frequency energy in the millimeter spectrum, which has no known adverse health effects, and safeguards passengers' privacy through automated target recognition software.

Pat-Down Procedures

Pat-downs are a common alternative screening method, especially if the imaging technology alarms or as part of unpredictable security measures. TSA officers use the backs of their hands for pat-downs over sensitive areas, and in limited cases, the fronts of their hands for further clarification. Passengers can request private screening with a companion of their choice, and a same-gender officer will conduct the procedure.

Biometrics Technology

As biometrics become more prevalent for identity verification, the TSA is exploring the use of passengers' biometrics to verify their identities. This technology could revolutionize aviation passenger identity verification in the coming years.

Credential Authentication Technology (CAT)

CAT is a game-changer for airport security, providing near real-time ID authentication, reservation verification, and Secure Flight pre-screening status at the security checkpoint.

Alternative Screening for Film Photographers

Film photographers may request hand inspections of their film containers at some airports, including Budapest Airport. It is advisable to label the containers with a request for a hand check and to separate the film from other baggage.

Budapest Airport is committed to ensuring the safety and convenience of its passengers, and by investing in new technologies and exploring alternative screening methods, it aims to provide a seamless and efficient security screening experience.

Frequently asked questions