The new technology will enable passengers to have liquids and electronics in their carry-on bags.

Hamad International Airport [HIA] is the first airport in the region to obtain Smiths Detection’s advanced screening of carry-on baggage, the airport announced on Wednesday.

The HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX uses Computed Tomography [CT] X-rays enables airport operators to enhance checkpoint performance by expediting the screening processes while also helping improve the passenger experience.

The airport’s latest investment allows passengers to keep electronic devices and liquids in their hand baggage, sparing them some of the stress caused in baggage scanning while also avoiding congestion.

“Smiths Detection has a reputation for providing market leading solutions with world-renowned standards for quality. We are proud to be the first airport in the region to introduce the latest CT screening technology available in the industry,” said Saeed Yousef Al-Sulaiti, Vice President of Security at the facility.

“At HIA, we are always championing the adoption of cutting-edge technologies to ensure operational excellence and deliver a seamless passenger experience,” Al-Sulaiti added.

The innovative baggage screening device uses a rotating CT gantry that moves along with luggage as it is carried through the conveyor belt, allowing hundreds of images to be taken of the bag to create real-time, accurate, 3D assessments.

The new generation X-Ray machines will also contain fully automated tray return systems integrated with UV-C emitting modules that will automatically disinfect the trays before passengers handle them to further ensure safe and health travels for all passengers.

The award-winning airport is committed to remaining at the forefront of technological advancements to continuously enhance the passenger experience while improving operational efficiency, added Al-Sulaiti.

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HIA has also obtained a new passenger screening technology by Rohde & Schwarz Millimeter, which is a non-invasive and a contactless screening method in addition to CEIA shoe scanners that reduce the need for pat-down searches and shoe removal.

The HIA-Smiths Detection partnership is also going to move screening operators from the new lanes at the checkpoints to an area equipped with developed equipment, where they can also interpret images without distractions to further enhance security and safety.

Earlier this year, in response to the coronavirus outbreak, HIA was the first in the region to implement C2 security screening technology at the transfer security checkpoint, enabling the detection of passenger luggage without cross-contamination in addition to autonomous disinfectant robots.

As a result, the airport was the first entity in the world to achieve independent verification for its implementation of COVID-19 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aviation Health Safety Protocols from the British Standards Institution (BSI).

It was also one of the few airports to introduce paperless air travel through its implementation of biometric identification services at key airport touchpoints, such as self-service bag-drop, pre-immigration, e-gate and self-boarding gates.

In 2020, HIA was ranked the “Third Best Airport in the World”, among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020.

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