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A survey conducted by Unisys has found that the majority of Australians support the use of full body scans and biometric identification to increase aviation security and enable more efficient passenger processing.
Of the 80 per cent of respondents to the survey who travelled by air, 77 per cent said that they would be willing to provide personal data in advance, such as passport or drivers’ licence information, up from 68 per cent in March 2007, while 68 per cent said they would be willing to prove their identity using biometric data, such as iris scans and fingerprints. The survey also showed that 70 per cent would be willing to submit to full body scans at an airport.
“The endorsement by the Australian public of particular security measures despite perceptions of the loss of privacy sends a message to aviation regulators that the community is supportive of more stringent measures,” said John Kendall, national security program director for Unisys Asia Pacific.
The survey comes after the federal government committed to a $200 million boost to aviation security, which will include the fitting of body scan equipment at airports around Australia by early 2011.
