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Manchester Airport has introduced compulsory full-body scanning for ‘certain passengers’ in a bid to control the flow of dangerous terrorists onto British planes. Bosses have warned that refusal is not an option for anybody who wishes to fly.

The ‘naked scanner’ is not a popular piece of equipment. Critics have noted that the machine produces imagery that violates child pornography laws, and an attempt to make under-eighteens exempt from the scan was recently thrown out by the Government.

Further complaints include the sensitivity of the hardware – remarkably low, considering the hi-tech nature of global terrorism. The scanner cannot detect liquids or chemicals, both of which are used in homemade bombs.

Security staff seized a suitcase of white powder at Manchester last week, prompting the question – would a scanner have been able to detect the mysterious substance, and potentially save the lives of hundreds of travellers? Many experts say no.

The issue that continues to bother the cabinet concerns the identity of the passengers selected for full-body scanning. Civil rights campaigners fear that people from the Middle East and Africa could be unfairly targeted as potential terrorists, just because of their religion, or the way that they choose to dress.

Despite the accusations, the Government sees selective screening or ‘racial profiling’ as a very real alternative to traditional airport security measures. People who refuse to be scanned, due to modesty, for example, will be treated as potentially dangerous, and will be turned away from flights.

Heathrow and Birmingham airports join Manchester as pioneers of full-body scanning. The former has also begun compulsory screening, whilst the latter is due to receive a big parcel of scanners over the coming month.

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A ‘chemical incident’ caused a stir at Manchester Airport earlier this week, after a mysterious white powder was found in the hand luggage of a passenger. Tests have yet to determine the identity of the substance, but officials are confident that the powder poses no risk to aircraft or travellers.

The passenger, a man in his late twenties, was catching a plane from Manchester to Heathrow, when security staff spotted the suspicious chemical in his carry-on bag. The airport informed the local police, who sent a bomb squad to the site.

Manchester’s Terminal 3 was closed for six hours while officers combed the aisles and armchairs for evidence of an explosive threat, but came up empty handed. The terminal was reopened at 7pm, and the passenger released without charge.

Experts continue to puzzle over the nature of the white powder. Cocaine, gunpowder, and even freeze-dried chemicals can be carried in powder form, but scientists have found no correlation with known contraband. The mysterious substance was also found in the passenger’s main suitcase.

Airport bosses reported minimal disruption, amounting to a few flight delays only.

Manchester police have since apologised for the trouble – "The powder was unidentified, so we had to take every precaution to protect the safety of passengers at the airport. Public safety is our primary concern.”

Visitors to the Manchester Evening News website have speculated that the passenger might have been testing the sensitivity of airport security, especially as the alert came just days after the Home Office raised the terror threat level from ‘substantial’, to ‘severe’.

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The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has introduced a new law that could help prosecute people who shine high-powered lasers at aircraft. The amendment stipulates that anybody caught ‘shining a light at an aircraft’ can be charged with reckless endangerment.

Dubbed ‘laser louts’ by the British press, these brigands are anonymous enemies of modern aviation, using bright lights to dazzle the pilots of helicopters and planes. UK airports report a 1,700% increase in the phenomenon since 2008 – a worrying statistic.

Laser pointers are readily available on the internet, often selling for just £20. With a maximum range of almost 2km, the user can pester aircraft with impunity, without giving his or her appearance away to video cameras.

Manchester Airport claimed 52 laser incidents in 2009 alone, compared to 42 in Glasgow, 40 in Birmingham, and 39 at Leeds Bradford. Over 700 separate incidents were reported last year.

Even police helicopters have been targeted, but with no obvious way to detect laser louts, even the airborne authorities are susceptible to this kind of obstruction.

The CAA is currently working on a ‘laser-recognition’ device, capable of recording laser beams, said to be as unique and varied as the human fingerprint. Jail sentences and community service orders have also been earmarked for laser crooks.

Rogue laser beams have not caused any accidents to date, but an incident in Plymouth last year resulted in a plane having to abort its landing. The plane and its crew eventually landed safely.

The BBC offers a short video on its website, highlighting the dangers that laser pens pose to aircraft; in this case, a police helicopter.

Earlier this week, Manchester Airport bosses were forced to concede to the wintry conditions and suspend all flights from the Ringway site, after heavy snowfall made runways icy and dangerous.

Just about everywhere has seen snow this week, from Aberdeenshire in Scotland, all the way down to London and the southeast. Hundreds of schools are closed. Thousands of motorists are stuck on the motorways, and many UK airports are still trying to sweep the snow from their planes.

Manchester and Leeds Bradford remained closed until midday, but despite a few delays, the two airports are now running as normal. Liverpool John Lennon added to its wintry woes with ten cancellations, whilst Blackpool Airport has suspended all flights until further notice.

Forecasters are warning of the worst British winter in over a century, with temperatures expected to drop to an impressive -10 in hilly and mountainous regions, such as Northern England and Scotland.

Emergency services have requested that we avoid calling 999 apart from in extreme emergencies where someone is dead or dying, or if we have witnessed a crime in progress. Four major motorways, including the M6 and the M62, are all facing severe disruption, making rescue difficult.

The Manchester Airport website reads, “The airport has reopened as of 1pm and arrivals have started to land. The worst of the weather appears to have passed, but we expect a slow departure rate.” Passengers are advised to check with their airline for the particulars of their flight.

With heavy snow expected to continue well into the weekend, British airports are braced for another cold, difficult month. Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Gatwick airports have also reported delays.

Manchester Airport has incurred the wrath of Cheshire campaigners, after a plan to demolish two historic houses became known. Officials want to build a new hangar on the cleared site, but pressure groups are seeking court action to prevent the development. Stop Expansion at Manchester Airport (SEMA), a newly formed protest group, succumbed to an unfavourable 5:4 vote by local councillors last week, despite an impromptu rally outside the town hall gates.

Only a judge can overturn the ruling now, much to the dismay of Peter Johnson, a resident in one of the doomed properties. Mr. Johnson has issued a warning to Manchester, opposing the demolition. “We have fought long and hard to stop our homes from being demolished and we won't give up the fight just yet.” A colony of great-crested newts could also be destroyed by construction crews, despite being protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981.

A nearby townhouse was recently spared the bulldozer, prolonging four centuries of history, but the destruction of the remaining buildings is almost inevitable. When complete, the 18,000 sq. metre hangar will occupy a space between Hasty and Runger Lanes. Manchester Airport believes that the expansion is sustainable and will have no adverse effects on the local environment.

Eco-warriors are not convinced, believing that noise pollution could rise beyond acceptable levels. Liberal Democrat Councillor, Martin Eakins, has slammed the local council for its part in approving the hangar development, suggesting that planners were simply ignorant of the plight of local residents.

Visitors to the Manchester Evening News website were less sympathetic to Hasty Lane residents, as the two homes in question are rented from, and located within the limits of, Manchester Airport. Whilst it might be a little mean to demolish somebody’s house, the airport has a legal entitlement to modify buildings on its soil, providing that property laws are not broken.

Of course, the battle between Manchester Airport and the dethroned Hasty Lane residents could be about something else altogether – sufficient compensation.

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Officials at Manchester Airport have unveiled plans to open the first ever restaurant in a control tower. Manchester has asked all willing investors to come forward, promising enough floor space for 100 diners, and a wealth of scenic views, cast out over the busy airport and the Cheshire countryside beyond. The tower, which has stood abandoned since the summer, could also support a small shopping arcade and reception area.

In July, a £50m redesign of Terminal One was unveiled to the public. The project saw the expansion of the airport’s retail and catering areas and alterations to the border, helping passengers get through the terminal as quickly as possible. The new, improved terminal is capable of handling 11m passengers a year, up from 2.5m in 2008.

Unfortunately, the control tower did not factor into the renovation plans, and the building was left to rot beside the runway. Its unique shape and location drew the attentions of local businesses, however, and the airport has been in consultation with investors ever since.

Andrew Harrison, director at the airport, was eager to attract as many people as possible to Manchester Airport. He said that they were hoping that the control tower would become "a venue to rival some of the city centre’s most sophisticated venues", adding that the intention is to "produce an experience that far exceeds all current expectations of a great bar”.

Any prospective development would help Manchester offset the cost of the summer refurbishment. Milligan Retail, a local property specialist, has been hired to oversee the venture.

Manchester Airport is to trial a new electromagnetic scanner, capable of seeing through travellers' clothes.

Costing in the region of £80,000, the machine is a world away from the X-ray Spex that graced the back page of US comic books in the sixties and seventies, yet the premise remains the same – x-rays penetrate a person’s clothes, revealing concealed items beneath.

Sounds innocent enough, but the scanner also produces a black and white image of a person’s genitals and breasts, including any implants. Authorities maintain that the pictures are not pornographic, and have promised to delete all images immediately.

The scanner has enjoyed successful trials at Heathrow Airport, where it has been based for the past four years.

Security company, Rapiscan, manufacturer and pioneer of x-ray scanners, was full of praise for the new machine: “The x-rays are well suited for seeing objects just below a surface. It has the ability to detect a wide range of threats: metal, explosive, plastic or ceramic.”

The scanner does not penetrate the surface of the skin, but travellers have voiced concerns about indecency and radiation levels. Visitors to the BBC website were equally bemused, referring to the scanner as a “real invasion of our last privacies,” and an “absolute abuse of power.”

Manchester was quick to point out that the machine is completely safe, allowing visitors to take thousands of scans a year. The scanner will remain a voluntary procedure until the end of the year, when the Department for Transport will vote to install the scanners throughout the country, permanently.

For more information about the x-ray scanner, consider watching this video on the Telegraph website.

Manchester Airport is the first airport to be nominated for a National Customer Service Award, an accolade that rewards institutions for their commitment to customer care.

The airport could claim the Best Use of Technology Award, Customer Service Team of the Year Award, and an award for young professionals, earmarked for employee, Katy Gough.

Katy created an information booklet for autistic passengers, helping to boost Manchester’s standing as a disabled-friendly airport. Sarah Barrett, the head of customer services at Manchester, was delighted.

The airport was a debutant, having entered the competition for the first time this year. Officials will face a panel of judges in October, collecting any awards in December, just in time for the New Year.

In similar news, Manchester Airport was declared the Airport of the Year at the Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Awards, an enviable achievement.

The facility fought off stiff competition from fellow airports, Birmingham and London-Luton, but a recent £80m renovation of Manchester’s two terminals proved a valuable trump card.

"We are extremely proud to have secured such a highly acclaimed award. It is a real tribute to the efforts of the 19,000 people who work at Manchester Airport," Andrew Cornish, managing director at the site, explained.

The TTG Awards pit UK airports against each other in a number of fields – customer service, trade relations, and commitment to their local communities, among others.

Manchester’s dedication to new scanning and security technology pleased the judges in both competitions, surpassing the efforts of Edinburgh, Heathrow, and Birmingham airports by a large margin.

Angry householders have filed over two hundred lawsuits against Manchester Airport, claiming that low-flying planes have destroyed the local property market, slashing thousands from house prices, and filling the air with oily smog.

Residents of Wythenshawe, a large housing estate in Mobberley, southern Manchester, have made compensation claims amounting to £9m over the last six years, each one in response to the opening of a second runway at the airport.

The estate, widely known for its portrayal in the Channel 4 sitcom, ‘’Shameless’’, is home to a number of luxury bungalows, some of which have lost more than a quarter of their original value.

Manchester’s second runway is no stranger to controversy. In 1999, before the airport was officially opened, an eco-warrior named ‘Swampy’ staged an underground protest to draw attention to the plight of two National Trust forests near the runway.

However futile, Swampy’s spirited defence of Mother Nature drew the admiration of eco-warriors up and down the country. Authorities were not amused, and in October, all the remaining protesters were flushed out, plucked from the trees and sent home.

Since then, low-flying planes have caused more than headaches for Mobberley resident, Chris O'Donovan – “the noise is incredible. The reverberations can break light bulbs in the house. Whenever an aircraft takes off we get an appalling smell of aviation fuel. You can actually feel it in the back of your throat.”

Manchester Airport has disputed the case, and has warned that it will not be badgered into doling out hefty compensation packages. The Lands Tribunal (a legal entity charged with resolving disputes over land) will oversee any prospective lawsuits.

Bosses at Manchester Airport have insisted that industrial action over the August bank holiday weekend will not affect regular airport operations. The strike, involving some three hundred staff members, is centred on Swiss handling company, Swissport.

According to the strikers, Swissport has reneged on a contract promising a 2.75% pay increase to all ground and apron staff. The agreement, which was struck last August, tied Swissport to a two-year pay deal, and helped to dissolve another strike threat.

Britain’s General Union (GMB) and Unite, the largest union in the UK, are in full support of the strike. Gatwick and Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle, and Birmingham are also anticipating major disruption over the bank holiday weekend.

Swissport was quick to point out that just forty staff members (10% of its total UK workforce) were responsible for the strike.

The firm’s CEO, Mark Faulkner, was unsympathetic: “a strike at this time will only inconvenience the travelling public and do nothing to safeguard the jobs of our staff or the prosperity of our business.”

Mr. Faulkner went on to criticise the conduct of GMB and Unite, branding them ignorant to the damage that industrial action causes to public services. The bank holiday strike is designed to cause maximum disruption to holidaymakers.

The Swissport strike falls in the shadow of industrial action at Liverpool John Lennon – a dispute over jobs that has yet to find a solution. Both airports have asked their customers to be prepared for delays.

Swissport employees will work to rule from the 29th - 31st August. A strike involving apron staff will take place from 5am on the 31st August to 12:45pm on the 1st September.

At Gatwick and Stansted, a 24 hour strike is expected to take place on the 25th, on the 29th, and on bank holiday Monday.

Swissport has since refused to be baited by “militant behaviour.”