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Welcome staff at Edinburgh Airport are using Google Glass headsets to provide flight information, answer queries or translate foreign languages for travellers, but a privacy watchdog fears the devices could be hacked or used inappropriately.

Launched this week, the three-month pilot project offers a glimpse into the future of customer service at airports as management teams take advantage of new forms of technology.

Edinburgh Airport is the first in the UK to use Google Glass, which is similar to a pair of spectacles and is equipped with an optical display.

Flying into the future: Edinburgh Airport's welcome team is using Google Glass to assist travellers

The hands-free device displays digital information and allows users to access the internet or apps using voice commands or snap photos with just a wink.

Until the end of the year, Edinburgh Airport's welcome team, Blackjack, will be using the headsets to assist passengers with questions about their flights, the airport, the city itself or other topics.

But privacy watchdog Big Brother Group is raising concerns about the use of Google Glass in airports, saying Edinburgh Airport management should think 'very carefully' about whether the device is appropriate.

Emma Carr, the organisation's director, told the Edinburgh Evening News: 'The danger with Google Glass is that the camera is seeing what you see, all the time, while the microphone allows nearby conversations to be eavesdropped on.

'It is impossible to guarantee against these devices being hacked, so it is surprising that this technology is allowed anywhere like an airport or government buildings.'  

Wearable technology: Users can access the internet or apps with voice commands or snap a photo with a wink

Edinburgh Airport is the first in the UK to use Google Glass, which is equipped with an optical display

Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said in a statement: 'We're always looking for new and innovative ways to improve the airport experience for our passengers and Google Glass trial is a great example of how we're thinking out the box.

'The fact that it's the first trial of its kind in a Scottish airport is exciting as it shows we're leading the way in how we interact with our passengers. 

'Over the next few months we'll be able to establish whether this product is suitable for an airport environment.'  

Privacy watchdog Big Brother Group said it is 'surprising' that the technology is being used at an airport

The trial is part of a partnership the UK's fifth largest airport and Omniserv Ltd, the parent company of Blackjack.

A handful of airports or airlines have tested Google Glass to determine if it is useful to them.

Virgin Atlantic launched a six-week pilot scheme at Heathrow Airport last February, while a trial has taken place at Copenhagen Airport.