As much as some people look at it with something of a side eye, technology has, for the most part, made our lives better. I mean, if not for technology, you wouldn’t even be reading this because computers, smartphones, and the internet wouldn’t exist.
If there’s one place where technology has made things easier and faster, it’s airports. Because of improvements in technology, virtually every part of aviation and airports—making reservations, air traffic control, transportation between terminals, communication, check-in, you name it—runs faster and more smoothly.
In the wake of 9/11, a terrorist plot to blow up planes flying from London to the USA with homemade liquid bombs was foiled in 2006. However, it brought about new rules for the flying public, with certain requirements for bringing liquids in carry-on and personal bags.
Happily, technology has improved over the years, and airports are switching to ‘computed tomography’ (a.k.a. CT scanners), which allows security staff to check bags on their screen in 3D and rotate them 360 degrees. The CT scanners can also assess whether any substance presents a threat.
Thanks to the acquisition of these scanners, the first airport in the world launched a new screening system in early 2022, where passengers don’t have to worry about zip bags, container size, etc. In late 2022, the UK announced that because of these new scanners, travelers going through the major airports in the country would end their liquid rules for carry-on bags in June 2024.
PC: eGuideTravel / flickr / CC BY 2.0
Unfortunately, it’s not to be…yet
It’s recently been reported that many of the UK’s airports have been struggling to install CT scanners ahead of the summer holiday period when demand on aviation hubs typically reaches its annual peak.
The blame has been largely put down to supply chain delays and construction difficulties caused by the weight of the machines.
What’s the deadline now, then?
As a result, the deadline is now 1 June 2025. But for many traveling this summer, the quicker security systems will still be in place. Roughly half of the country’s airports have installed them.
Which UK airports already have the scanners?
London City became the UK’s first major airport to begin using the new scanners for all passengers in April of 2023.
Teesside Airport, located between Darlington and Stockton-on-Tees in Northern England, also has the new tech in place for its passengers.
Which UK airports don’t have the scanners?
As of now, the new scanners have not yet been fully rolled out across Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, East Midlands, and London Stansted airports.
Heathrow has previously said it expects to have new scanners in all security lanes sometime this summer, while Gatwick expects to complete the program by the end of March, 2025.
Manchester Airports Group, which runs Manchester, East Midlands and Stansted airports, said its scanners will be fully rolled out in 2025.
OK, so that’s the UK. What about the US?
The TSA is in the midst of deploying computed tomography scanners to airports throughout the country. The problem is, of course, that while England has roughly 40 commercial airports, the U.S. has over 500, some with dozens of TSA checkpoints in a single airport.
That being said, they are sslloowwllyy ordering, obtaining and installing the CT scanners. As of last spring, it was reported that TSA had so far deployed 678 CT units to 218 airports nationwide, and had recently announced an investment of up to 1.3 billion USD in three additional orders for up to 426 base, 359 mid-size and 429 full-size CT units.
But once all US airports have CT scanners, we can stop with the liquids rules here, right?
Unfortunately, it’s…complicated. When TSA was asked when the 3-1-1 liquid rules would end here, their response was not super optimistic.
I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Feature Image: Mike McBey / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.0
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