Body scans ruled out at Palma airport for the moment

PALMA
SPAIN'S Development Minister, Jose Blanco, said yesterday that, unless the European Union introduces a new union-wide directive ordering the use of body scans at all airports, the new security systems are not going to be used at Spanish airports such as Palma for the time being.

Blanco said that the Spanish government, in line with the European Union Transport Commission, is studying and considering a number of new measures to tighten and improve security but, for the time being, security has only been significantly tightened on flights to the United States.

As the Bulletin reported last week, Spain was already on a heightened security standing ahead of the Christmas attempt to blow up the flight to the States because of the potential threat of an attack by the Basque terrorist group ETA poses during Spain's current term as President of the European Union. Blanco said that certain security measures at Spanish airports have obviously been stepped up another level in the wake of the failed Christmas airline attacks but would not give any details.