The days of removing electronics from carry-ons at airport security could be over as soon as 2022, at least at airports in the United Kingdom. This past weekend, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an order that would require all airports in the country to install and use 3D scanning technology by 2022, with the goal to both increase security and make passengers’ lives easier.
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New Airport Scanners in the UK Will Let You Keep Your Liquids and Laptop in Your Luggage
“By making journeys through UK airports easier than ever, this new equipment will help boost the vital role our airports play in securing the UK’s position as a global hub for trade, tourism, and investment,” The Guardian quoted Johnson as saying. The report noted that the UK’s Heathrow Airport plans to spend 50 million British pounds, about $61 million, on a modern technology called computed tomography 3D scanners that will give security workers a better view of what is inside a passenger’s bag as it passes through the checkpoint. Both Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta and Schipol Airport in Amsterdam already use the scanners.
In addition to keeping their laptops inside their carry-ons, passengers will no longer have to transfer liquids into clear ziplock bags and should enjoy faster security lines at airports where the technology is implemented. No word on when travelers will be able to keep their shoes, belts, and coats on just yet. 