New liquids scanner trial at Newcastle Airport
31.05.09
The first security scanner that can see through bottles and detect whether they contain explosive liquid will start trials next month at Newcastle Airport, the Times reports. The technology could allow the airports to lift restrictions on liquids in hand luggage, meaning passengers would again be allowed to carry bottles of any size on board planes.
The British-built scanner works by shining an X-ray through the liquid and detecting the ‘spectral signature’ of the image recorded on the other side. Each type of liquid has a different ‘signature’ and the machine is programmed to distinguish between harmless liquids, such as water or alcohol, and potential explosives such as hydrogen peroxide.
Kromek, the company which developed the liquid scanner, is based in Sedgefield, Co Durham, and was established by research scientists from the physics department at Durham University. The scanner works even if the bottle is completely sealed, with no trace or residue on the outside. It can see through any type of bottle, even those made of metal. Other explosive scanners have been tested at airports in Britain and the US but have been found to have limitations, either because they take too long to scan each passenger or because they are unreliable.
The DfT has said that it expects to be able to lift the ban on liquids sometime next year after it has seen the results of scanner trials. The ban will be removed airport by airport because some will invest more quickly in the new machines than others.
A spokesman for Newcastle Airport told the newspaper that the scanner might initially be used to check bottles delivered to duty free shops. It is also likely to be tested in the customs search area and, if these trials prove successful, will be introduced at security checkpoints.
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