Heathrow Airport is installing £50m worth of new scanners which will allow passengers to keep their liquids and laptops inside their bags.
Computer tomography (CT) security scanners, to be installed over the next few years, will give staff a clear picture of a bag’s contents.
The technology, which is similar to CT scanners used in hospitals, provides detailed 3D images that can be easily rotated and dissected.
When fully deployed, the equipment will end the need for passengers to remove their liquids and laptops from cabin baggage when passing through security.
The scheme is backed by the Department for Transport and will be installed across the airport by 2022.
Heathrow chief operations officer, Chris Garton, said: “This cutting-edge kit will not only keep the airport safe with the latest technology, but will mean that our future passengers can keep their focus on getting on with their journeys and less time preparing for security screening.”
Aviation Minster Baroness Vere added: “Passenger safety remains our top priority, and this programme clearly shows the huge importance we place on security.”
The technology is already being used in the US, including at Hartsfield-Jackson airport in Atlanta and Chicago’s O’Hare.
The US Transportation Security Administration hopes to deploy 300 of the scanners by 2020.
Source : Sky News : http://news.sky.com/story/heathrows-new-16350m-scanners-will-allow-liquids-and-laptops-to-stay-in-bags-11735928