World: New airport scanners may mean liquids and laptops can stay in your luggage

Air passengers could soon be spared the chore of having to remove their laptops and liquids from their carry-on luggage when going through security. New equipment, using what is known as CT technology, is being tested in Britain and the US and could slash the times travellers spend getting through to the departure lounge. Working in much the same way as CAT scanners do in hospitals, the new devices take detailed images of what is inside a passenger's luggage. A number of airports are already using the technology to screen hold luggage and now the industry is trying to develop portable scanners for use on hand baggage at security checkpoints. A complete ban on carrying liquids onto an aircraft was introduced in August 2006 after a terrorist plot to down a transatlantic aircraft, by mixing the liquid components of a bomb on board, was thwarted. Although it was later eased to allow passengers to bring liquids in containers up to 100ml, the restrictions cause inconvenience to passengers who have to put fluids into small plastic bags (which some airports charge GBP1 for) and take them out of their hand luggage for inspection. "The UK has some of the strictest security measures in the world, and we are leading the way in using new technologies to improve security screening at airports, as well as improving the passenger experience," said Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, a transport minister. "We already have state of the art automated screening lanes in place at many of our airports, and new CT technology is also being trialled here. We will continue to work closely with our US counterparts to harness the latest advances in technology."<br/>