Special report
Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport, the site will see similar high-tech CT scanners installed as part of a four-year renovation project. “The security filters will be equipped with more modern technology, thus achieving positive aspects in terms of security and quality, such as passengers not having to remove liquids or computers,” Tomás Melgar, the airport’s director, explained.
New 3D CT scanners look set to replace traditional 2D X-rays at major airports.
packing “more liquids in their bags so that takes a little bit longer”.
When asked by LBC why passengers were carrying more liquids than usual, Holland-Kaye noted the rise in complaints the industry had received over lost baggage during the summer months, due in part to severe staff shortages in baggage handling. “A lot of people are put off from checking in all of their make-up, for example, because they are worried about whether their bag will make the journey with them,” he said. However, this wasn’t the only factor that contributed to the industry’s interest in this new technology. The ongoing recovery of the air travel industry has also helped to drive its uptake. Figures in September from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) show that passenger levels have reach 73% of pre-Covid levels – a number that both demonstrates the need for improved technologies to enhance the passenger experience and encourage travel while also being high enough to justify the expense. “We would welcome a decision by the UK government to roll out the new 3D hand baggage screening equipment across UK airports,” said Willie Walsh, director general of the IATA, in a statement in November. “In fact, the sooner the better – with smooth implementation supported by clear communication to passengers.” He added that the technology could also help deliver savings if it meant the check-in process was easier for passengers.
The roll-out rolls on After Heathrow’s announcement in November, it wasn’t long before other airports followed suit. A few days later, Palma de Mallorca Airport, on the Spanish island of Mallorca, declared that its passengers would also no longer have to remove their liquids and electronic devices from their hand luggage when passing through security.
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London City Airport also announced that it will be expanding its own use of CT baggage scanners in security lanes, currently trialling the technology on a single lane with plans to introduce the machines across the rest by April 2023. “Following our one-lane trial this year, we know the new CT scanners are high-performing and our passengers love them,” said Alison FitzGerald, London City’s chief operating officer, in a statement at the end of November. “It also delivers the highest security specifications.” As mentioned earlier, many of the airports where these restrictions have been or are in the process of being lifted are still advising travellers to keep their liquids in 100ml containers, as their destinations may not have upgraded their own security lane systems. However, as more countries complete full nationwide roll-outs of the technology, this will begin to change and passengers will no longer have to worry about their liquids or electronics. This will take some time, of course, but the dominoes are already falling.
One of the main potential stumbling blocks in that the cost of implementing the new technology is prohibitively expensive for many smaller airports, particularly as the industry is still struggling to recover from the effects of the pandemic. Many will find the upgrades a challenge, which sets the global timetable back until travel has returned to pre-Covid-19 levels. Even then, airports will be dealing with the financial burden of the debts they incurred over the pandemic for a long time.
If the UK does mandate the upgrade, and other nations follow suit, this will increase the pressure airports are under to make the switch – until then, it’s all about the return on investment. While increased efficiency and customer satisfaction is something that no airport would turn its nose up at, shorter security lines also mean that passengers will be able to spend more money in airport shops and restaurants – no small consideration. In any case, as the ongoing wave of airports already making the switch makes clear, the days of liquid restrictions and hastily retrieving your electronics from your luggage at the security line are numbered. Even if it takes a while to become an industry standard, X-rays are all set to become a thing of the past for airport security lines, and CT scanners are its future. ●
Future Airport /
www.futureairport.com
Tom Eversley/
Shutterstock.com
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