At Munich Airport, passengers can expect more convenient and faster hand luggage checks in the future. As Air Authority South announced to the government of Upper Bavaria on Thursday, new control lanes and baggage scanners will be purchased for around 45 million euros. Above all, the use of 60 advanced CT scanners will make life easier for guests, as liquids and electronic devices no longer need to be unpacked separately. The earlier applicable upper limit of 100 milliliters per liquid container will also be reduced, the authority said.

Devices scan hand luggage using computer tomography (CT) techniques known from medicine. Instead of a few overhead images, they deliver hundreds of images of the luggage without loss of speed, enabling three-dimensional views on the control screen and a layered X-ray of the bag’s contents. It can also detect explosives and liquids. Liquidity restrictions were introduced in 2006 to combat terrorism.

After the pilot project

Standard equipment at the airport from the beginning of 2023 preceded a multi-year pilot project in Terminal 2. In addition to the scanners, 48 ​​newly designed control lanes are to be installed, which will enable faster processing. According to the announcement, up to 160 percent more passengers can be screened at the same time on the new lanes than the previous facilities.

District President Konrad Schober sees Munich Airport as playing a pioneering role throughout Europe. From next year, seven advanced scanners will be installed at Germany’s largest airport, Frankfurt, while the technology is already in operation in Ireland and Estonia. The British government is also planning a rapid expansion by mid-2024.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:221124-99-648131/2