Full-body security scanners have been unveiled at New York's John F Kennedy International Airport.
The Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) machines, which help security officials better detect weapons and explosives, were officially unveiled by US Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano along with Port Authority officials.
Napolitano hailed them as an important breakthrough for airport security and the fight against terrorism: "These machines represent an important way to stay ahead of the ever-evolving threat that faces the aviation industry.”
Napolitano played down privacy concerns with reassurances that airport staff would not be able to use the machines to leer at passengers.
Estimates state that 300 airports in the US will be equipped with these machines in 2010.