PEORIA —Those passing through the security screening checkpoint at the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport will no longer have to worry about being patted down by a security guard when they alarm the metal detector.

Instead of being patted down, those who alarm the metal detector that everyone must walk through when boarding an airplane will enter an advanced imaging technology (AIT) machine that the airport installed last week.
“If you alarm in the metal detector, you can walk through the AIT machine after that and not necessarily have to get pat-down,” said Gene Olson, director of the PIA. “It should be more pleasant for people. I’ve got some friends with artificial knees and hips and this should make their screening process a lot more pleasant for them because they’ll have an alternative to a pat-down.”
Traveling through the security screening checkpoint at PIA is expected to be faster with AIT machine because it eliminates the need for a private room pat-down.
The AIT machine is a full-body scanner that resembles a revolving door without the partitions and takes only a few seconds to walk through.
When a person walks through the AIT machine, a non-gender specific image, similar to that of a gingerbread man cookie that is displayed on a nearby screen, illustrates whether a person is holding any abnormal or dangerous items on their person.
“If you walk through this machine and if you’re ok it just displays this green screen with the word ‘OK’ displayed in the center,” said Olson. “If there’s an alarm or more to investigate, it’ll point our where on the body to exam more closely.”
The AIT machine costs between $120,000 and $180,000 and uses non-ionizing radio frequency energy-radio waves instead of X-rays to generate a three-dimensional image of the body based on the energy reflected from the body.
The Transportation Security Administration purchased the AIT machine that is located at PIA. PIA was one of 29 airports across the country to receive AIT machines from TSA this month.
According to Olson, TSA started installing the AIT machines in airports in the United States in 2007.
“Initially they were trying to get like the top 50 or 60 airports covered and basically they’ve achieved that and they’re starting to branch out to the smaller ones,” said Olson.
The technology in the AIT machine allows PIA security to detect any non-metallic explosive devices, similar to the plastic explosives that Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab carried in his underwear and attempted to detonate while on board a plane that was en route to Detroit, Mich. on Christmas 2009.
“TSA’s rollout of these machines was really accelerated by the Christmas day attempted bombing of the flight bound for Detroit two Christmases ago,” said Olson.”It’s what everybody refers to as the underwear bomber because that was a non-metallic explosive that was hard to detect on the person. And so those machines were rolled out in attempt to counter that.”
“Liquids, powders, gels, aerosols, things that a metal detector might not necessarily find, this Advanced Imaging Technology can,” said TSA spokesman Jim Fotenos. “So, it’s another tool our officers use in conjunction with explosive trace detection, canine teams, and federal air marshals to keep the traveling public safe.”
While constructing its new terminal that opened this year, PIA installed provisions for the AIT machines, said Olson.
 “When they installed all the TSA equipment and wiring and so on, they made provisions for these machines, while we were building it,” said Olson.
Because TSA has maintained AIT machines in big city airports for the past few years, many passengers who fly out of PIA are already familiar with them, said Olson.
“People who travel a lot are already seeing these machines in bigger airports and so people already have a lot of experience with them,” said Olson.
PIA is the first airport in downstate Illinois to receive an AIT machine.
There are approximately 500 AIT machines at 78 airports nationwide.
AIT screening is optional for all passengers. Passengers who do not wish to use the screening technology will receive alternative screening, including a physical pat-down.