Last updated: 13 Nov 12 @ 03:24  |  

Next-generation screening technologies will allow for a faster, more compact airport security checkpoint

Ken Mann explores the latest advancements in airport screening and security technology, and asks what the future of aviation security is likely to hold

We are entering a new phase in the design and development of airport security. Today, checkpoints are seen mainly as control points to inspect bags and people, yet checkpoints are evolving to utilise highly advanced technologies and automation that screen large numbers of people and their baggage, facilitate throughput and deliver a positive customer experience. Technology in all areas of aviation security is improving, such as cargo screening and hold baggage screening, with potential cost and facilitation benefits. Technologies are also emerging that can be deployed to prevent the risk of landside suicide and large vehicle bomb attacks.

Combating the terrorist threat across the globe is a continually evolving problem, fraught with many challenges including the fact that different authorities around the world require varying threats to be detected, mandate different technologies to be used and often have very different regulatory frameworks. One aspect that does not vary regionally is the requirement for technology to be flexible and able to adapt to new threats as they emerge. With airports acting as one of the primary gateways for any country it is imperative that aviation security continues