Airport security is about to get a whole lot faster thanks to cutting-edge new technology that scans your carry-on bag.
The technology, now being tested at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, uses computed tomography (CT) scans, which are already used by hospitals to see inside bodies.
At security, carry-on luggage travels up a conveyor belt and through advanced machines that are equipped with CT scanners to look inside the bags.
The scanners produce sharp 3D images on the screen that airport staff can rotate 360 degrees and magnify.
Detection algorithms draw attention to any questionable items that may warrant additional inspection, such as liquid explosives.
Scheduled to roll out in 2024, the technology will mean passengers will no longer have to remove liquids and electrical equipment, such as laptops, from carry-on luggage.
Currently, travelers having to remove these items and place them in large plastic trays is the leading cause of delays at airport security.
Rules about how much liquid can be brought on board planes will also be removed to coincide with the full release, according to The times.
Airport security is about to get a lot faster thanks to new ‘state of the art’ technology that scans your hand luggage in a more detailed 3D image, rather than traditional X-ray scanners and 2D images.
The technology, now being tested at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, builds on the computed tomography (CT) scan already used by hospitals to see inside bodies.
The new equipment scans passengers’ luggage in 3D, providing a much more detailed image to security officials compared to traditional X-ray scanners and the resulting 2D images.
Heathrow declined to reveal to MailOnline which companies are supplying the machines, although a company called Analogic has already installed them in US airports.
According to The Times, the Department for Transport (DfT) has told major UK airports that the older control technology is due to be replaced by the new CT system by summer 2024.
The UK government previously said the technology would be rolled out across the country by the end of 2022, but these plans have been delayed due to the Covid pandemic.
An official government announcement on the launch is now expected before Christmas.
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow’s chief executive, told The Times that the machines are slowly being installed throughout the airport.
“We have just started the expansion of the security area in Terminal 3 that will have more CT scanners and will have a deadline of mid-2024 by the DfT,” he said.
“By then, the normal experience for passengers will be liquids staying in the bags.”
Currently, liquids in carry-on luggage must be contained in 100 mL containers that must fit inside a single, clear, resealable plastic bag that measures approximately 8 inches by 8 inches.
Today, travelers having to remove plastic liquid bags and laptops from their carry-on luggage and place them on large plastic trays is the leading cause of airport security delays.
Heathrow did not reveal to MailOnline which companies are supplying the machines, although a company called Analogic has already fitted them at US airports.
Going through security, this plastic bag must be placed on a plastic tray as it moves along a conveyor belt through a 2D scanning machine.
New CT scan technology will mean travelers can keep their liquids inside their luggage, because CT scans give staff better, more detailed images of what’s inside.
Once the technology rolls out nationwide, the 100ml liquid limit may no longer apply, meaning passengers could carry liquids, such as a bottle of water or a bottle of shampoo, for safety. .
The 100 ml rule was introduced in 2006 after authorities foiled a planned terrorist attack by al-Qaeda on seven planes leaving Heathrow, using peroxide-based liquid explosives disguised as soft drinks.
If successful, it would have been the biggest al-Qaeda attack against the West since 9/11.
Restrictions on the amount of liquids brought into an aircraft cabin were only intended as a temporary measure, until appropriate technology became available to filter liquids for explosives.
Now, more than 15 years later, CT scanners have shrunk in size to practically fit in airports, while algorithms have been developed that can distinguish harmless liquids from liquid explosives.
CT machines create a clear image of a bag’s contents, and algorithms can automatically detect liquid explosives in containers, as well as solid explosives, such as a tampered with laptop containing a bomb.
Rules preventing passengers from taking beverage containers and toiletries larger than 100ml on board flights will disappear at major UK airports for the first time since 2006. Pictured: Queue for airport security from Heathrow in April this year.
The Times has been told that the 100ml rule will be abolished in 2024 to coincide with the full release of the technology. MailOnline has contacted the DfT for confirmation.
Because the rollout of CT technology will be relatively gradual, some experts worry that there will be different security rules depending on the airport, leading to confusion among passengers.
An unnamed aviation source has warned The Times that passengers will receive “mixed messages” in the run-up to 2024.
“As scanners become more common, in some lanes passengers will be told not to take things out of their bags, while in other lanes they will still have to,” the source said.
