New scanners at Australian airports may let you keep your liquids

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 13 years ago

New scanners at Australian airports may let you keep your liquids

By Andrew Heasley
New airport scanners to be trialled in Sydney and Melbourne could mean travellers will again be able to carry liquids on to flights.

New airport scanners to be trialled in Sydney and Melbourne could mean travellers will again be able to carry liquids on to flights.

New airport scanning technology for liquids and gels to be trialled at Melbourne and Sydney airports could end the annoyance of forfeiting duty-free perfumes and alcohol at security checkpoints for international flights.

At Sydney Airport, about 1250 duty-free bottles are confiscated by security personnel a month, the federal government admits, on top of about 8000 bottles of water — much to the exasperation of passengers.

Bottles and tubes holding more than 100 millilitres or grams of liquids and gels were banned from being carried on to planes following a foiled terrorist plan in 2006 to explode bombs contained in hand luggage on flights from Britain to the US.

Loading

Despite the bans, travellers are variously advised in duty-free shops around the world that purchases sealed in a tamper-proof plastic bag are allowed on board, only to be confiscated at the next port with different security rules — leaving thousands of travellers out of pocket.

The new scanners use "multi-view explosive detection x-ray" technology to analyse bottle contents, the federal government says.

Federal transport minister Anthony Albanese says the scanners have the "potential" to remove the need for passengers to forfeit oversize containers of shampoo, water, soft drink, hair product and alcohol before they board an international flight.

The new scanners will be trialled for two weeks at Melbourne Airport's domestic terminal from today, and from November 29 in Sydney.

The government "is exploring whether advanced technology has the potential to minimise the inconveniencies felt by the flying public while maintaining the highest standards of aviation security," Mr Albanese said.

Advertisement

"The trials are an important step towards the potential lifting of the current restrictions," he said.

While scanning technology for liquids and gels may be welcomed by fed-up travellers, body scanners are meeting much resistance in the US.

Body scanners were rushed into service in the US after an attempted attack on last Christmas by a man who hid a bomb in his underwear.

As a consequence, passengers in major US airports face intimate body pat-downs if they refuse to be radiated by x-ray body scanners, which produce a ghostly "nude" image of a person's body, including genitalia.

Opponents argue there are health, privacy and legal concerns about the scanners.

Confidence in official assurances images would not be stored and misused has been shaken after 100 scanner images, obtained from a US courthouse machine, were posted on the internet this week.

Mr Albanese has committed the government to introducing body scanners in major Australian airports next year, but promised in February to evaluate machines that only produce a generic "stick figure" against which contraband items would be highlighted, rather than a photo-realistic naked image of a passenger.

The scanners are part of a $200 million spending package on counter-terrorism measures at airports, though recoupment of some of the cost could lead to an increase of the $47 passenger movement charge for departing international travellers.

Sign up for the Traveller newsletter

The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading