London City airport has confirmed that customers will soon no longer need to remove laptops and liquids from hand luggage when passing through security.
LCY has been trialling new CT scanners this year, which enable security officials to review the contents of travellers’ hand luggage without the need for items to be removed.
The trials have been successful, and from April 2023 LCY will have retired its existing conventional security x-ray machines, replacing them with “a full CT security proposition” provided by technology firm Leidos.
It means that from that date passengers will be able to leave items in their hand luggage, which the airport says will result in “an even faster and improved experience” at security.
LCY said that it was “among the first UK airports” to move to the sole use of CT scanners.
This week The Times reported that major UK airports have been told to replace 2D screening technology with more advanced CT security scanners by the summer of 2024.
This would both allow laptops and liquids to remain in hand luggage, but also enable a relaxing of the 100ml liquids rule which has been in place since August 2006, when a plot to blow up aircraft on transatlantic flights was discovered.
The Times quoted John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow as stating:
“We have just started the expansion of the security area in Terminal 3 which will have more CT scanners and have a deadline of mid-2024 from the DfT [Department for Transport]. By then the normal passenger experience will be that liquids stay in bags.”
London City expects around four million customers to pass through the airport in 2023, and is investing £12 million upgrade it departures lounge facilities in time for next summer.
Commenting on the news LCY’s chief operating officer, Alison FitzGerald, said:
“Following our one-lane trial this year, we know the new CT scanners are high performing and our passengers love them.
“We are always challenging ourselves to make the LCY experience even better, so this, alongside the £12 million upgrade in the departure lounge will mean the journey through the airport in 2023 will be even slicker, with more space and better food and beverage and retail options.
“Thanks to the Leidos solution, alongside speed, it also delivers the highest security specifications.”
“Speed, convenience and consistency of service are qualities that we know are so important to our passengers, especially now. So we also hope the results from the recent Which? survey will encourage more people to use London City Airport this Christmas and through 2023.”