US: Computers, not humans to scan carry-on bags in TSA test

Federal officials said Tuesday that they are expanding tests to speed up airport lines and improve security. In a first in the U.S., the Transportation Security Administration said Tuesday that it plans to begin using computed-tomography or CT scanners to inspect carry-on bags at one checkpoint in the Phoenix airport by the end of the year. CT scanners are already used to screen checked baggage. The process is mostly automated — the scanners generate 3-D images that are analyzed by computers. Security workers only check a bag if something is suspicious. The use of CT technology at airport checkpoints would eliminate the need for screeners to examine X-ray images of every bag. It could also let travelers leave liquids and laptops in their carry-on bags. TSA said it will work with American Airlines to make other changes to increase automation and speed up screening this fall in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and Miami. American will spend $5m on the changes, said the airline's chief operating officer, Robert Isom, in a letter to employees. He said neither the increased automation nor CT scanners will solve TSA's problems, "but they are both huge steps in the right direction."<br/>