According to a recent development, travelers passing through Terminal 2 (T2) of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru will no longer be required to take personal electronics out of their handbags for pre-embarkation security checks, including laptops and cell phones.
The start of a trial run for the Computer Tomography X-ray (CTX) machine at T2 in the upcoming weeks has already been announced by Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL). This system is expected to be operational by December 2023 and will only apply to domestic passengers, if reports are to be believed.
The CTX machine trial at T2 will start in a few weeks, according to Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Operating Officer of BIAL. She also stated that KIA will be the first airport in India to conduct passenger trials for the CTX machine, integrated with the Automatic Tray Retrieval System (ATRS) and full-body scanners. To improve the efficiency and security of the screening procedure, three full-body scanners have been installed at T2 by BIAL officials.
In further detail, Raghunath said that the operators of the new system can rotate the view to inspect the contents of the bags, which eliminates the need for physical inspection and rechecks.
Passengers will be able to expedite the screening process and shorten wait times at security checkpoints by leaving electronic devices and liquids, aerosols, and gels (LAGs) in their bags.
It will also do away with the requirement to pat down passengers following the initial walk-through metal detector screening.
Raghunath emphasized that installation and integration with ATRS lanes are ongoing as the CTX Proof of Concept (POC) is being tested at T2. The advanced screening capabilities of the CTX machine, which use CT and automatic explosives detection algorithms, will soon begin passenger trials. The machine’s superior 3D image quality and improved liquid density identification are intended to improve security outcomes.
According to additional reports, the Delhi airport has also tested the CTX machine, but passenger trials integrating it with ATRS and full-body scanners have not yet begun.
In reference to this, a representative for Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) stated that CTX trials were carried out at IGIA in Terminal 2 between February and May of 2023, and stakeholders’ input is still being sought. Full-body scanners are not yet available at the IGI Airport, but procurement is in progress. CTX trials have also been carried out at other airports, such as Mumbai’s.
By the end of the year, major airports handling 50 lakh passengers were required by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to install 3D CTX machines for cabin checks; however, it is anticipated that a number of operators will miss this deadline.
