New airport scanners are better at spotting liquid explosives, but many airports lack them


Travelers celebrated the suggestion that American airports might soon ease restrictions on liquids in carry-on bags that create endless hassles at security checkpoints, but more than a third of all airports around the country still haven’t upgraded their screening systems to reliably detect liquid explosives that could bring down a plane.

It may be annoying to have to dump water and other drinks before going through security, but the challenge is to detect the difference between things like harmless hair gel and more sinister substances.

Read more…
Source: MRT News


Sign up for the Counter-IED Report Newsletters
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox


Related:

  • British Airways flights to Cairo cancelled

    July 20, 2019

    British Airways has cancelled all flights to the Egyptian capital Cairo for a week as a security “precaution”. Passengers about to board a BA flight to the city from London’s Heathrow Airport were told that it was cancelled – and that there would be no alternative flights for a week. The airline did not specify what the security issue ...

  • Heathrow scanners mean liquids can stay in bags

    June 6, 2019

    Passengers at Heathrow airport will be able to keep their liquids and laptops inside their carry-on bags, once new security equipment is installed. The airport is investing £50m in the computer tomography (CT) security scanners, to be rolled out over the next few years. The technology, similar to CT scanners used in hospitals, provides a clear picture ...

  • Safety experts concerned by repeated security lapses at Dhaka airport

    March 24, 2019

    Recent security lapses at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka have raised eyebrows among safety experts, as multiple passengers have managed to sneak firearms past terminal gates. Lax security at the airport not only poses threats for passengers, but also negatively affects Bangladesh’s image in the international arena, the experts added. The issue of airport security entered ...

  • Las Vegas airport to test machines to detect explosives

    March 11, 2019

    As Las Vegas’ airport continues to see record-breaking passenger traffic, keeping those travelers safe is a top priority. McCarran International Airport is set to test four explosive detection machines at the Terminal 3 security checkpoint, county Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis said last month during her presentation to the Assembly Committee on Infrastructure and Growth. The project, ...

  • DHS S&T Funds Solution to Increase Efficiency of Air Cargo Screening

    March 5, 2019

    Air Cargo skids and pallets take up a large amount of space on every commercial passenger flight.  Federal law requires this cargo be screened at the same level as checked baggage.  Single and dual energy X-ray systems can be scaled up to screen air cargo skids, but they produce two-dimensional views of air cargo that ...

  • Irish police join probe into parcel bombs at London transport hubs

    March 5, 2019

    Ireland’s police service said on Tuesday it was helping British colleagues investigate who mailed three small bombs to two of London’s airports and a major rail station on Tuesday. No one was injured by the devices, one of which caused a small fire in an office building at Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest air hub. The packages were ...

  • Brussels Airport failed to spot bomb belt security test

    February 28, 2019

    “On 1 October last year, I was asked to try to pass the security checkpoint with a fake bomb belt”, said the mystery passenger, HLN reports. “The belt looked very credible, with wires, a detonator and a substance that had the same density as real explosives,” added the passenger. When being searched, the passenger pretended to be a ...

  • IATA Warns Of Aviation Security Risks, Calls For Better Collaboration With Governments

    February 27, 2019

    At the IATA Aviation Security Conference (AVSEC World) in Miami, FL, IATA Director General and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac called on governments to work with the aviation industry to ensure greater coordination in aviation security initiatives and warned against a lack of communication on critical security matters, as was the case during the 2017 ban on ...

  • ‘Major disruption’ on Eurostar after WWII bomb discovery

    February 16, 2019

    Eurostar passengers are facing cancellations and major disruption all weekend due to an unexploded World War II bomb discovered in Paris. Bomb disposal experts are working to deactivate the device – but it will cause delays and cancellations for those travelling between London and the French capital. Five trains have been cancelled, one will be diverted and ...

  • Britain to provide Libya with explosive detection equipment

    January 23, 2019

    Britain has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Wednesday to provide explosive detection equipment to Libya’s Mitiga International Airport. British ambassador to Libya Frank Baker, and the Head of the Libyan Airports Department, Mohamed Bait al-Mal, signed the MoU, said a statement issued by the Libyan airports authority. “The signed MoU aims to establish joint cooperation ...

  • Resurgent Al-Qaeda plan new series of spectacular attacks against airliners and airports

    December 23, 2018

    The terrorist group behind the world trade centre attacks in New York in 2001 are plotting a series of deadly new attacks that are ‘keeping ministers awake at night’. Security Minister Ben Wallace said that Al-Qaeda are planning the attacks on airports and airliners, and even plan to use explosive-packed drones to take down targets in a bid ...

  • DHS S&T, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Host Workshop for Airport Security

    October 26, 2018

    The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have facilitated a workshop focusing on the future of airport security. Professionals in the aviation industry convened at the second annual Aviation Security Futures Workshop in Reston, Va., to address issues in various aspects of airport security as part of the Apex Screening at ...

  • New York Port Authority Bus Terminal To Test New Security System on Monday

    August 11, 2018

    Commuters into the Port Authority Bus terminal on Monday will be part of a pilot to test a new security system, one that will try and identify suicide vests and other improvised explosive devices. The Port Authority will launch the pilot test next week on the new security system designed to help law enforcement professionals. The technology, in partnership ...

  • Security team trains 500th dog for explosives detection

    July 31, 2018

    Will air cargo loads routinely be screened by bomb-sniffing dogs? New York City-based security firm MSA Security is counting on it, as it announced this week that it has trained it 500th dog in the science of explosives detection at its Windsor facility in Connecticut. Under what’s known as the Windsor Program, the human handler and ...

  • New NATO project to help with real-time detection of explosives in public transport

    June 15, 2018

    A new NATO project, EXTRAS, led by research institutions in Italy and Serbia, will make it possible to detect explosives and prevent terrorist attacks on public transport. The project, funded by NATO’s Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme, will use laser spectroscopy to identify explosive materials on potential bombers. The project started on 14 June ...

  • Technology To Screen For Explosive Vests Coming To Penn Station

    February 26, 2018

    Suicide vest-detection technology is coming to New York City’s Penn Station. U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer said Monday that the federal Transportation Security Administration will start testing the screening equipment on Tuesday. Schumer pushed for the technology to be tested in New York City after a Bangladeshi immigrant injured himself setting off a crude pipe bomb strapped to his ...

  • Security at the Speed of Life

    January 17, 2018

    Everyone wants to be safe and secure, but can you imagine if you had to go through a security screening at the metro station like there is at the airport? What if there were a way to safely scan crowds for potential threat items in places like metro and train stations without security officials coming ...

  • Hungary Searches International Trains After Bomb Threat

    July 19, 2017

    Hungarian police say they are inspecting all international trains arriving in Hungary after receiving an anonymous bomb threat. MAV, Hungary’s state railway company, said Wednesday that police haven’t found any explosives on any of the trains searched so far. But the checks will be held on all international trains entering Hungary until midnight (2200 GMT; 6 ...

  • U.S. issues revised security directive to airlines worldwide

    July 14, 2017

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has issued a revised directive to airlines around the world in response to requests that it clarify aviation security measures scheduled to begin taking effect next week, the agency said on Friday. “This clarifying update will strengthen global aviation security and is a testament to our shared commitment to raising ...

  • Screeners at Minneapolis airport are reported to have a 94% failure rate

    July 5, 2017

    TWO more airports have joined Abu Dhabi in having a laptop ban lifted. On July 5th passengers flying from Dubai or Istanbul to America were told that they will once more be allowed to take large electronic devices into plane cabins, rather than having to stow them in the hold, which they have been required to ...

  • Can next-generation bomb ‘sniffing’ technology outdo dogs on explosives detection?

    July 7, 2016

    With each terrorist attack on another airport, train station or other public space, the urgency to find new ways to detect bombs before they’re detonated ratchets up.Chemical detection of explosives is a cornerstone of aviation security. Typically called “trace detection,” this approach can find minuscule amounts of residue left behind after someone handles an explosive. A ...