We have the technology to end the airport liquid ban, so why is it still in place?

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We have the technology to end the airport liquid ban, so why is it still in place?
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The requirement to put liquids into 100-millilitre containers and take electronics out of bags has been a staple of air travel for nearly 16 years. However, at many airports around the world new technology is already in place that will allow that rule to be scrapped, and some are now beginning to drop the ban.

Back in October 2021, Shannon Airport, in the west of Ireland, quietly announced its new state-of-the-art computed tomography, or CT, scanning security system, installed at a cost of €2.5 million .

"It is one of the projects Shannon Group took on during the period of severe travel restrictions on aviation," Nandi O'Sullivan, the group's head of communications, tells CNN Travel. Just as with the CT scans we know from hospitals, the security scanners at airports replace conventional 2D X-ray scanning with much more precise 3D imaging.

Shannon Airport estimates that time spent going through its passenger security screening will be halved by the new technology, and unsurprisingly, Riordan says that passenger feedback has been very positive at airports where the new machines have been trialled. Amsterstam Schiphol has also been using CT technology at all its checkpoints since 2020, Dennis Muller, senior spokesperson for the airport, tells CNN. But unlike Southend or Donegal, it's a major international hub. It's no longer mandatory for its passengers to follow liquid restrictions, but the airport advises that they use 100-milliliter containers all the same, to avoid problems when flying to other jurisdictions.

One innovation is multiplexing: "You put a stream of bags through a machine and the images are sent to different operators, not just one operator per machine. That's one way of trying to compensate for this lag in staff and increase in passengers."The cost of implementing this new technology isn't cheap, and smaller airports, already struggling post-COVID, may find upgrades a challenge.

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