Passengers bare it all at LAX

Beginning today, passengers at Los Angeles International Airport will have no where to hide when they go through security checks. That’s because a new screening device is being put into place that will allow security officials to see underneath a passenger’s clothing.

The Whole Body Imaging Technology, which is already being used in at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, is being unveiled today at LAX. Instead of the normal pat-downs, passengers who are required to go through a secondary screening will be asked to step into a machine for a closer look.

The machine, equipped by two rotating antennas, scans a passenger’s body in a matter of seconds and creates a three dimentional image. Security officers view the images from a remote location, looking for weapons or explosives hidden underneath clothes. The passenger’s face is blurred. The images cannot be stored, printed or transmitted and no one other than the screeners can view them.

The machines are also being tested at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport. TSA officials will unveil the new machines at LAX’s Terminal 5 this afternoon.