TSA Testing 3-D Scans for Easier Airport Security Checks

Contributing Editor Carl Unger believes that every trip is worth taking. He loves an extended trip to Europe as much as he enjoys exploring the towns and landscape near home. Basically, you'll find him wherever there is good food, fresh air, and plenty of stories to bring home.

Carl has been writing for SmarterTravel since 2005. His travel writing has also appeared on USA Today and the About.com Boston travel guide.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "It's not revolutionary, but a small Moleskine notebook is my one travel must-have. It's great for noting things you want to remember and it takes up hardly any space in your bag."

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: "Japan. I'd love to take a month off and visit the cities, temples, and countryside. I'm fascinated by the country's juxtaposition of ancient traditions and modern ambitions."

Travel Motto: “Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.” –Terry Pratchett

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Window."

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We all know the routine: Laptops out, bagged liquids in the bin, don’t forget your tablet too. And then shove all back in your bag amid your fellow haggard travelers.

It’s most people’s least-favorite part of traveling, and the TSA is about to take a big step toward ending it.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “The TSA and American Airlines have begun testing the use of smaller, more advanced CT scanners for carry-on luggage at one lane of Terminal Four at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.” If effective, these scanners would allow travelers to leave laptops, liquids, and gels in their carry-on bags.

The TSA will test another scanner at Boston’s Terminal E later this month. The Tribune reports that these tests will last “indefinitely.”

“We already use this type of technology for checked baggage, and we expect these smaller checkpoint-sized machines will provide the same high level of security,” TSA Acting Administrator Huban Gowadia said in a statement. The agency already uses CT scanners on checked baggage, but their size and cost make them impractical for use in the terminal.

Here’s how it works, per the TSA’s release:

“The new CT screening equipment shoots hundreds of images with an X-ray camera that spins around the conveyor belt to provide officers with a 3-D picture of a carry-on bag to ensure it does not contain a threat. The system presently applies sophisticated algorithms for the detection of explosives. If a bag requires additional screening, TSA officers will open and inspect it to ensure that a threat item is not contained inside.”

Folks, this could be the real deal. This is what travelers have been clamoring for: the holy grail of TSA checkpoint technology.

OK, maybe that’s hyperbole. But this is the first major, meaningful opportunity to speed up airport security to come along in over 15 years. If these machines work as hoped, they may actually increase the effectiveness of security screening while decreasing the time and hassle involved. What a concept.

Readers, do you think these tests are a turning point in airport screening? Are you hopeful, or does this sound too good to be true? Is airport screening even that big a deal anymore, or are you used to it?

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