US Airports Using ID Card Scanners
Airports in the US are using new technology to check passengers' ID cards.
From this month, secruity staff at airports around the country are using handheld scanners emitting UV light, or "black light", to spot forgeries - similar to those used for checking money in banks and shops.
The scanners illuminate the ID cards and will show any imperfections or tampering that has occurred to government seals.
Some 2,100 scanners - which are just 3 inches long - are eventually going to be in use at over 800 security checkpoints across the US.
They are already in use at over 400 airports around the country, with another 50 to follow in the next few weeks.
The Transport Security Administration (TSA), whose staff are responsible for checking passengers' documents and who will be using the new scanners, said the introduction of the UV scanners represents "a significant security upgrade."
The move was also welcomed by airlines, with the Air Transport Association - a trade group representing several major US carriers - saying the new scanners would aid security.
Efforts to Improve Airport Security
The introduction of the UV scanners is the latest move by the US government to boost security at airports in the US.
Since the middle of last year, the TSA has gradually taken over the checking of passenger IDs and boarding passes from private security staff recruited by airlines in an attempt to provide higher-quality security for airports.
Airport security consultants have already commented that TSA staff do a better job than the previous security staff in checking passengers' documents, since they are also have specific training in spotting forged documents and suspicious passenger behaviour.
In a further attempt to bolster security, last month the US Department of Homeland Security that non-US citizens must now provide more biometric data when they arrive in the country.
Source - Airport International's US Correspondent
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