YLW Connection - Winter 2009 - (Page 25)

A ny passenger that has passed through Kelowna International Airport has no doubt recognized changes in security. The recent addition of additional screening lanes and the establishment of a pilot project until January 18, 2009 testing whole body imaging technology on a voluntary basis have changed the security landscape. The technology called millimeter wave (mmWave) pairs the full-body screening with a metal detector check. Millimetre wave technology generates detailed images of the body without physical contact between the screening officer with the final images revealing objects, including weapons and explosives, which may be concealed under clothing. Unlike metal detectors, these can reveal ceramic knives as well as some plastics. They also forewarn guards what to expect when someone is pulled over for a further search. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) launched the pilot project at Kelowna International Airport in June of 2008. Kelowna was the first airport in Canada to implement this screening tool, joining American airports including Los Angeles International, JFK in New York, Phoenix Sky Harbor airports. Amazingly enough as technology has improved, so have threats to our personal safety in this ever challenging world. And to many business travelers it’s those waits in security lines that have many considering hopping into a car instead. Enter the entrepreneur seeking ways to provide a service and make money at the same time. Clear, a New York based company is promising its subscribers a five minute maximum trip through the security gates at ten different airports in the United States. By paying a $128 annual fee, 200,000 users across North America are now using the service. With business travelers as a primary target, customers pay a fee and then have biometric information including fingerprints and iris scans imprinted on a plastic card, much like a credit card. They then access the Clear Lane, have their biometric data confirmed by a scanner and then enter a metal detector. For the fee, Clear staff does provide assistance with carry-on luggage. Flying Securely | BY ROBERT FIN E , Manager of Economic Development Central Okanagan Regional District In the years ahead new technologies will be applied to make the security challenge easier on passengers and tougher on terrorists. A new bottle scanner being developed in the United Kingdom can detect a variety of dangerous liquids, aerosols and gels and could one day lead to a loosening up of those annoying liquid restrictions. There is a new 3D X-ray machine to look for explosives in carry-on luggage. New devices are appearing that automatically detect “strange” behaviour. To do this, they learn basic elements of normal human behaviour in a situation, such as people wandering through a terminal building. If someone starts running or jumping over barriers, the system flags up this “anomalous” behaviour. Its reliability is hard to asses, but it cuts down the element of human chance says the manufacturer Roke Manor Research. In the years ahead new technologies will be applied to make the security challenge easier on passengers and tougher on terrorists. Thermal imaging to detect disease is also currently operational. The equipment, which includes a finely tuned infra-red camera, was used to quickly scan passengers and identify any with even the slightest hint of a fever. The SARS threat has abated, but the cameras are still in use. This technology could be used in the future to pinpoint possible terrorists, who might be sweating before boarding. Stay tuned for more technology and more attempts to speed up and make more secure the time spent before we board an airplane. n WINTER 2009 25

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of YLW Connection - Winter 2009

YLW Connection - Winter 2009
Contents
Airport Services
Customer Survey Shows YLW on Track
Las Vegas - The To-Do List That Never Ends
Winter Maintenance: Snow Removal 24/7
Kelowna's Largest Tim Hortons Lands at YLW
Air Canada - Connecting Kelowna to the World
Air Travel Etiquette
Staying Ahead of the Curve at YLW
Airport Ambassadors Make Dreams Come True
Dream Big
Advisory Committee Helps Chart Flight Plan for Kelowna International
Growing a Creative Okanagan Economy
Pregnancy & Travel
Flying Securely
YLW News
Trivia & Games

YLW Connection - Winter 2009

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