back to article Heathrow Airport drops £50m on CT scanners to help smooth passage through security checks

Heathrow Airport is spending £50m on computed tomography (CT) scanners, which should mean travellers no longer have to remove liquids and laptops from their carry-on bags during security checks. The plan is to have the scanners in place in every UK terminal by 2022. Heathrow has been trialling the technology since 2017 with …

  1. Aladdin Sane

    What new embuggerance will they come up with to replace this one?

    1. Loyal Commenter Silver badge

      Making random passengers submit to a full-body CT scan perhaps?

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Act 3 of the security theatre. Every device gets a full comprehensive scan and copy made of any data because terrorists use laptops and phones and we must all be kept safe for our own good. Why do you think they want laptops back in the cabin?

  2. Blockchain commentard

    Wonder if they'll let me put my ankle through it, bored waiting for my local hospital to organise one.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

    no, because they have nothing to do with Heathrow, or any other airport. Which means that the new scanners will be of no use. Until the rules on 100 ml liquid change (they were supposed to by spring last year, or this year, but hey, once you tighten the noose, it appears impossible to make looser again.

    1. druck Silver badge

      Re: if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

      Having liquids confiscated at security, and having to buy more from duty free once airside, works very well for airport profits, so don't expect to see any change there.

      1. mantavani

        Re: if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

        The last time I flew internationally, I still had to dump the large bottle of water I bought *airside* before going through the final bit of security theatre when boarding. I was incredulous.

        1. MachDiamond Silver badge

          Re: if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

          ...and out the £6 they charged for common tap water in a bottle.

    2. Paul Eagles

      Re: if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

      It’d save loads of time for Airport security staff if the 100ml rule was binned. It must take ages for each and every liquid product that’s sold airside to be checked to the same degree that my 50ml bottle of mouthwash is. It’d save me too, those 100ml or less bottles are fucking outrageously priced.

    3. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

      It's not 100ml of liquid, it's a container with liquid that has a capacity over 100ml. I had a larger bottle of sunscreen with a few dribbles left in the bottom that I took with me once (cheeky, I know). Was fine on the way out and held up on the return. The letter of the law and not the spirit.

      1. SloppyJesse

        Re: if the tech will mean an end to the daft liquids rule – only 100ml per container

        "It's not 100ml of liquid, it's a container with liquid that has a capacity over 100ml."

        The with is important. I can take an empty 1l bottle and a separate 100ml bottle of Kia-ora and then mix airside at the water fountain.

        And inflation is slowly making the "travel" products pointless. many toothpastes are only 100ml now.

  4. Ol'Peculier

    I'm sure I saw something like that when I was going through Cincinnati CVG last year, so it's not new, and that's not a particularly big airport, if you exclude cargo. Looked cool though.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You probably did see one there as I've had my carry on bag go through the CT scanner at CVG airport. Much easier than taking out laptops and other assorted items. Sadly though I've only been chosen to use it once, all the other (numerous) times I've had to go through the usual hassle of taking everything out in the normal lines. Don't know what's worse, multiple times using normal scanners or multiple times visiting Cincinnati......

      1. Ol'Peculier

        I have friends there and it was for a meetup of users from a now defunct Douglas Adams forum. I like Cinch, though parking by the river when there is a game on is impossible...

  5. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

    Introduce pink tutus

    One common pattern among all terrorists from ISIS through IRA to IRGUN is that none of them have planted bombs while wearing pink tutus.

    Using this advanced statistical analysis Heathrow is allowing all passengers in pink tutus to skip the line.

    Note that this rule doesn't apply to Desmond Tutu if wearing a tutu because that would be ridiculous

    1. David 132 Silver badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: Introduce pink tutus

      that would be too, too ridiculous

      FTFY.

  6. macjules

    .. travellers no longer have to remove liquids and laptops from their carry-on bags ..

    The Pound Shop Hitlers will find other even nastier reasons for you to empty out your laptop bag, confiscate liquids or make you remove various items of clothing, shoes etc.

    I had this about 3 weeks ago when I had to dash from LHR T5 underground up the escalators and managed to get through the security gate just within the 30 minute departures lockdown. Various assorted PSH staff made me undergo the full scan, checked every single item in my bag ("Are you sure that this USB stick does not contain liquids or perhaps a hidden blade Sir?"), had laptop repeatedly scanned ("Just in case of hidden explosives Sir") and so on.

    The reason? "You looked very stressed Sir. Very common that is with terrorists, we see it all the time". Can't possibly have been because I had just practically sprinted up 4 long escalators and across the terminal?

    1. Chris G

      Re: .. travellers no longer have to remove liquids and laptops from their carry-on bags ..

      Since they see 'very stressed' terrorists all the time I wonder if they would like to release the arrest figures. Or are all or most of these stressed terrorists actually just pissed off travelers trying to get to their flight in time?

      1. Alan Brown Silver badge

        Re: .. travellers no longer have to remove liquids and laptops from their carry-on bags ..

        Would be amusing to preprint a card containing a FOI request on arrest numbers and hand it over when they offer that excuse.

        They have to accept it.

  7. Paul Eagles
    Pint

    The thing that confuses e is that when Terminal 5 opened at Heathrow you were specifically told to keep laptops and what not in your bags as they went through the scanner. I wonder what technology was in use then?

    Beer icon because I’ve had a few and can’t remember when the requirement changed and you had to strip pretty much stark bollock naked in front of a stranger to get on a cramped plane for another shitty business trip.

    1. MachDiamond Silver badge
      Pint

      Beer, because it helps when you opt-out and do the search in plain view.

      I just drive or take the train these days. Even with a bit of exhibitionist tendencies, I don't put up with being cold like I could when I was younger.

  8. leadyrob
    Pint

    Already at Schiphol...

    Assuming it's the same tech, they've already got them at Schiphol.

    Quite annoying as you're approaching the security line, thinking I've got to down this bottle of pop before being let through, only to be told you don't have to do that anymore !

    <burp>

    1. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Already at Schiphol...

      The difference at Heathrow is that you would be ordered to put it back into the bag 'for security' if you didn't have a bag you wouldn't be allowed to take the laptop with you

    2. macjules

      Re: Already at Schiphol...

      I have been at Nice airport with a rather good bottle of Rosé when the French security refused to allow me to take the bottle on board. Not only did we get through the whole bottle but we also offered other passengers a drink. Just as I passed through security I could see security staff sitting at their desks helping themselves to everyone else's confiscated wine.

  9. johnB

    Lipstick on a pig

    It's still Heathrow. It's a dump. I've vowed never to use it again.

    1. Charlie van Becelaere

      Re: Lipstick on a pig

      so now you fly through Gatwick?

      1. Joe W Silver badge

        Re: Lipstick on a pig

        ... City

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Lipstick on a pig

          City at 6pm on a Friday is like a pub 20 minutes before chucking-out time. In comparison, Heathrow is calm, relaxed and you can even find a seat.

    2. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Re: Lipstick on a pig

      Sometimes you're stuck with LHR if you don't want to spend ages getting to a train station. Heathrow can be pretty handy if you are going certain places. All airports suck anyway and could use Thor stopping by and being refused a ticket.

      1. David 132 Silver badge

        Re: Lipstick on a pig

        Most airports suck.

        I offer Portland International (PDX) and Kona International (KOA) as counter-examples. Both are utterly delightful, pleasant places to spend time. The latter is not so much an airport, more an informal patio with gazebos.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Hounsfield

    I'm sure I read somewhere once that Hounsfield was the first person to receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine who was not a medical doctor.

    1. This post has been deleted by its author

    2. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Hounsfield

      A bunch of physicists won it, Max Delbrück and of course Crick and Watson got it in the 60s

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

  11. Sureo

    Think of how much more benefit £50m for hospital scanners would be.

    1. phuzz Silver badge

      Perhaps NHS trusts could buy local flights for their patients, just so they can run them through the CT scanner?

    2. MachDiamond Silver badge

      Think of how much £50m could be useful for better screeners that undergo proper and extensive training.

    3. SkippyBing

      Bit of an odd comparison, Heathrow is run by a private company and can do what it wants with its money if legal. The NHS is run by the government which can do what it wants with its money. That a budget of ~£152 billion can't find £59 million for CT scanners is hardly Heathrow's fault.

      https://www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/

  12. Anonymous Coward Silver badge
    Holmes

    "the potential to help reduce queuing and waiting times at security"

    I think you misunderstand their motives. This has the potential to reduce the number of open security lanes while maintaining current waiting times and thereby reducing staffing costs.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If you're into retro technology...

    Just remember not to let them scan your film-based camera using the new CT scanners.

    It *will* put stripes all over your unexposed film.

  14. Amentheist
    Alert

    Already the case at Schiphol?

    Virtually no queues (but they have the sec checks closer to each gate rather than centralised like I think most UK airports)

    They then have the spinny thing you stand in like a mupped that even detected I had an old train ticket in my jeans pocket in me so $diety knows what EM field they blast you with.

    Not that any of this matters they watch you and can make the thing beep red if they want I know for a fact they did that in one airport cos I walked to the bog before security while I had no electronics or anything on my person that would trigger the scanner. (Or other cases where I've fiddled with my backpack in the concourse or anything that might look suspicious, possibly even being hungover which admittedly is most times I fly *cough*)

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And nobody has questioned the use of the verb "trialled?"

  16. Geekpride

    Interpretation?

    I sometimes get to used a CT scanner in my work (I work in the wonderfully named Nuclear Medicine). Mostly we do scans that don't use CT, but there are a few that combine CT images with the Nuclear Medicine ones. Take it from me, knowing what buttons to press to get a CT scan is a lot easier than being able to interpret the images and work out what's going on. I wonder what sort of training the staff will get to interpret the scans and how long they'll allocate to view each one. I'm not convinced either will be adequate to make this anything other than more security theatre.

    1. SloppyJesse

      Re: Interpretation?

      "I wonder what sort of training the staff will get to interpret the scans"

      They're training the AI already.

      What? You thought there would be actual staff?!

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