BRADLEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TO GET HIGH TECH FEDERAL AVIATION SECURITY TECHNOLOGY

ADVANCED IMAGING TECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE THROUGH STIMULUS FUNDS

WASHINGTON—Senators Chris Dodd and Joe Lieberman, and Rep. John Larson announced Tuesday that Bradley International Airport will receive the latest passenger screening technology available on the market today.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds would pay for seven Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines, which can screen passengers for metallic and non-metallic objects that may be concealed under a passenger’s clothes. The AIT allows the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to screen for weapons and explosives without touching the passenger. DHS said the first two machines will be installed at Bradley within weeks.

“Our first priority for air travel must always be the safety of passengers,” said Dodd. “Bradley is an international airport with frequent flights to most major U.S. cities and it is important that our security officials have the resources they need to effectively do their jobs. This technology will allow security officials to detect hidden threats safely and quickly without overburdening Bradley’s passengers.”

Lieberman said: “With this machine, Bradley International will be on the cutting edge of aviation screening technology. Even though AIT screening is optional for air travelers, these machines will accustom Connecticut travelers to the technology of the future and will enable screeners to detect non-metallic explosives and other threats to air travel. I’m extremely pleased that Connecticut residents and visitors to our state will be more secure as a result of deployment of this new technology.”

Larson said: “Bradley International Airport is the major hub of travel between Boston and New York. The AIT system, with its ability to disrupt and detect security threats, will ensure the safety of travelers and brand New England’s second largest airport as one of the most technologically advanced in the nation.”

The AIT equipment being deployed at Bradley uses “backscatter” technology that projects low-level X-ray beams to create a reflection of the body. The resulting image is seen by a TSA officer located remotely from the screening area. AIT screening is optional for air travelers.

TSA currently has 142 advanced imaging technology units at 41 airports. In March, TSA began deploying 450 additional AIT units purchased with ARRA funds. President Obama’s fiscal year 2011 budget requests funding to purchase and deploy 500 more AIT machines. Machines are valued at between $130,000 and $170,000.

TSA says it has implemented strict measures to protect passenger privacy. In addition to the fact that the TSA agent in contact with the passenger never sees the passenger’s image, the image cannot be stored, transmitted or printed, and is deleted immediately after being viewed.

TSA also insists that backscatter technology meets national health and safety standards, including applicable standards for radiation safety. This technology was evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), and results confirmed that radiation doses are well below those specified by the American National Standards Institute.

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