International travelers should get used to having their fingerprints taken or their irises scanned because traditional airport security tests are outdated and open to abuse, a leading U.S. official said on Thursday.

"As a general principle, certainly in the area of international travel, biometrics is the way forward in virtually every respect," said Michael Chertoff, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary.

"When we screen based on names, we're screening on the most primitive and least technological basis of identification -- it's the most susceptible to misspelling, or people changing their identity, or fraud.

"Biometrics is the way ahead."

Chertoff was speaking to reporters after meeting British officials during a four-day visit to Europe to discuss transatlantic security cooperation.

On Monday he visited the Netherlands, which will pilot a scheme later this year to allow passengers flying between New York's JFK airport and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport to pass through border controls using a biometric card.