Pants are ready to take off

The head of the agency responsible for US airport security, facing protests from travellers and pressure from the White House, appeared to give ground on his position that there would be no change in policies regarding new invasive passenger screening procedures.

The announcement comes as a US man unveiled an invention that  he says uses a powdered metal that protects people’s privacy when undergoing security screenings.

Jeff Buske says the underwear’s inserts are thin and conform to the body’s contours, making it difficult to hide anything beneath them.

The mix of tungsten and other metals do not set off metal detectors. It’s unclear whether the pants would lead to a more intrusive pat down by airport officials.

Transportation Security Administration head John Pistole said in a statement that the agency would work to make screening methods “as minimally invasive as possible”, although he gave no indication that screening changes were imminent.

The statement came just hours after Pistole, in a TV interview, said that while the full-body scans and pat-downs could be intrusive and uncomfortable, the high threat level required their use.

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