New ConneCT airport scanner to allow passengers to keep laptops and liquids in their bags

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This was published 6 years ago

New ConneCT airport scanner to allow passengers to keep laptops and liquids in their bags

By Hugh Morris
The new technology will mean travellers won't have to remove their iPads and laptops from their bags when going through airport security.

The new technology will mean travellers won't have to remove their iPads and laptops from their bags when going through airport security.Credit: Adobe Stock

Air passengers might soon be free from the hassle of having to remove their iPads and laptops from their bags when going through security.

New scanners using CT (computed tomography) technology and 3D imaging will also mean travellers no longer have to repackage their liquids into small plastic bags for screening.

The scanners, which have this week been given accreditation by America's Transportation Security Administration (TSA), will cut drastically the time it takes for passengers to get through security.

Engineered by Boston-based Analogic, a number of the new ConneCT scanners have already been purchased and trialled by American Airlines and now look set to be used across the US.

"With record-breaking air travel numbers and new threats to the public, it is ever more important to deploy cutting-edge technology that can evolve with the security landscape," said Jim Ryan, general manager of security detection and power technologies at Analogic.

The technology was first used in June during a demonstration at Phoenix Sky Harbour International, but has also made an appearance in the UK.

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Luton Airport has this year tested a similar CT scanner which would allow passengers to take carry-on luggage through security without removing liquids. A spokesperson for the airport said that the trial has now concluded and the results been shared with the Department of Transport, which is understood to be constantly reviewing new technology for airport security.

A complete ban on carrying liquids onto an aircraft was introduced in August 2006 after a terrorist plotted to take down a transatlantic flight by mixing the liquid components of a bomb on board.

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It was eased following extensive research which concluded that liquids in quantities below 100 ml posed no threat to an aircraft.

Elsewhere other technologies are also being trialled, including a device which scans bottles for liquid explosives.

One company, Cobalt Light Systems, of Abingdon, has machines being evaluated in hundreds of airports across Europe, including dozens in Britain.

Known as the Insight 200, the device can spot explosives in less than 10 seconds. Should the device detect "threat material" it triggers an alarm.

It is aimed at "LAGS" - liquids, aerosols and gels - and has been approved by the European Civil Aviation Conference, an intergovernmental body responsible for airline and airport security.

Tests have shown both a high level of accuracy and a negligible number of false alarms.

The EU has been keen to lift the restrictions for some time, but its deadline for doing so has been put back several times.

At one point it looked as if the 100ml limit could be eased. Now allowing small amounts of liquids to be left in cabin luggage, rather than placed in a clear plastic bag and scanned separately, appears a more likely option.

Airlines have made clear that there would have to be a consistent approach across all airports before the rules are eased, warning that different policies would create chaos.

The Telegraph, London

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