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Civil Aviation Conference issued a stamp of approval certifying a scanner as good for up to two litres of liquid. “We’ve put an awful lot
of time, effort, money and people into ensuring we get the results the regulators want, and that is where we are today – the only vendor with this [scanner certified to the current requirements].” The roll-out of Smiths
Detection CT scanners is fairly advanced. Thompson said: “We’re in the middle of the roll-out at larger airports. “The benefits of CT scanners
over conventional X-ray scanners are wonderful. You don’t have to unpack your bag, so the journey through security is quicker. Airports are happy because they move passengers quicker, they need fewer trays and less infrastructure, the security outcome is improved, and passengers are happier. They can leave liquids in bags and, in theory, have up to two litres of liquid.” Smiths has captured about
half the CT scanner market, but it’s up to each airport to decide on the technology they use. So, for passengers, the
changes in passing through security will not amount to much for the time being even with CT scanners in place because deployment of them is “patchy”, according to Thompson, and some airports – such as Manchester and Stansted – have partnered with manufacturers whose scanners have yet to be certified. Thompson said: “Expect to
use 100ml containers, and if you don’t have to remove stuff from your bag, it’s a bonus.”
UK airports lead the way in CT scanner installation
Ian Taylor
UK airports have more CT scanners installed than anywhere else in the world and the scanner roll-out is among the most advanced. That is because the previous
government unilaterally imposed a deadline of June 1, 2024, on airports handling more than one million passengers a year to install and deploy the scanners. Airports were not consulted but bore the cost, passing it on to airlines and therefore to passengers. Yet 14 months on, the scanners
cannot be used as designed at present and of the four largest UK airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted, which between them handled 188 million or two-thirds of all UK passengers last year – only Gatwick has wholly deployed the scanners. They are installed at Heathrow but
not right across the airport yet, while Manchester and Stansted currently have no machines certified for scanning liquids of more than 100ml, according to the only manufacturer of certified CT scanners, Smiths Detection.
The 100ml liquids limit will remain until all types of CT scanner are certified to scan up to two litres and deployed universally
Richard Thompson, Smiths
Detection vice-president, said: “We’re well over halfway through the deployment at Heathrow, which hit the compliance level for screening an appropriate percentage of passengers by June so is more or less there. “[But] Manchester Airports
Group, which owns Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands, decided to go with a different manufacturer, a competitor that does not yet have the liquids approval we have. We’re the only vendor which has achieved certification.” Four out of five UK air passengers fly to EU destinations, with the US
Scanner usage depends on investment and model type
The extent of deployment of the scanners depends on whether airports have invested in them, whether there is external pressure to invest in them and, for now, which scanner manufacturer an airport has contracted with, if at all. Smiths Detection vice-president Richard Thompson
said: “We estimate 700 CT scanners have been sold in Europe, and we’ve sold more than half of those. In the
46 14 AUGUST 2025
by far the biggest destination beyond the EU. Passengers will find liquids restrictions almost wholly in place for their return flights since few EU or US airports have begun deploying CT scanners and almost all are behind the UK in terms of installation. Thompson said: “Certain
countries, such as the UK and Australia, mandated the roll-out of CT scanners. But there has not been the same pressure in Europe, so France and Spain have taken longer. We have scanners at airports operated by Airports de Paris, but they’re further behind than others on roll-out. “Spain is the same. Most airports
in Spain have contracted with us but are very early on in their deployment. “Italian airports have been keen
to get the two-litre restriction lifted because they sell a lot of wine and olive oil and are having to take a lot of that out of people’s bags, so Rome and Milan airports are finished. “Germany is over halfway through
its roll-out. But Brussels awarded the contract to a competitor so doesn’t have certification. In the Middle East, we’ve just secured Dubai, but not Abu Dhabi or Qatar.”
UK, there are probably 250-300 in total out of the 700 in Europe. Heathrow has about 150, Gatwick about 50. “We’ll probably sell another 50 in the UK, but the
UK is way ahead. Probably about 1,200 will be required in Europe in total. “Globally, we’ve sold about 1,200, so we have the lion’s
share of scanners installed and we estimate we’re more than halfway through the global deployment. About 2,500 CT scanners have been sold in total, so there is probably another 2,500-3,000 still to go globally.” But as things stand, at least half the CT scanners sold
around the world are not yet certified for scanning cabin baggage liquids above 100ml.
travelweekly.co.uk
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