Heathrow to end ban on liquids in hand luggage as new 3D scanners are installed

[MLA]

Passengers at Heathrow airport will be able to keep their liquids and laptops inside their carry-on bags, once new security equipment is installed.

The airport is investing £50m in the computer tomography (CT) security scanners, to be rolled out over the next few years.

The technology, similar to CT scanners used in hospitals, provides a clear picture of a bag's contents.

Detailed 3D images can be easily rotated and dissected by staff.

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 Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport and Chicago's O'Hare.

The US Transportation Security Administration hopes to deploy 300 of the scanners by 2020.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-48526019

[MB30]

From the Guardian:

There are hopes that the improved technology could potentially end the liquids ban altogether. However, abolition would likely require the scanners to be installed at all airports, an expensive process that could take several years beyond Heathrow’s 2022 target.

[windermeregolfer]

Good new if you are travelling through Heathrow as we have this last year and will be twice in the next 9 months.


The issue will be will how soon the other airports follow suit and as some have  local authority partners will the finance be available

There was an interesting recent Which? / Consumer Association report out on Airport performance -

Want to know the best airport to fly from on your next holiday? Which? reveals the best and worst UK airports, based on thousands of customer experiences. 

The airport experience can conjure up a mix of excitement and anticipation about your upcoming trip. So which airports can you expect to send you off in style, and which could leave you stuck in a lengthy queue? To find out, we asked passengers about their airport experiences and with more than 11,000 responses you can use their views to fly from the best UK airports and avoid the worst.
Large UK airport reviews
The majority of UK airport passengers use the large airports in our ratings table below. Although they are well used, passenger experiences are on average better when flying from small UK airports. Make sure you compare all the airports in our guide, both small and large, to help you choose the best for you.
Heathrow Terminal 5 and Birmingham are the top large airports, with customer scores of 63% and 61% respectively.
Which? members who passed through Luton airport on their travels were typically not so impressed with their experience. The UK’s fifth busiest airport achieved a pretty dismal customer score of just 35%. It scores just one out of a possible five stars for bag drop, seating provision, toilets and security queues.
Manchester Terminal 3 and London Stansted also fared poorly, both receiving customer scores of just 44%.
Large airports - Ten million or more passengers per year


You can see the full report if you subscribe to Which?