The purpose of these ‘scanners’ is to accelerate safety controls, as passengers will not have to remove portable computers and liquids from hand luggage
The European Commission announced on Tuesday it has given ‘green light’ to the installation of ‘scanners’ at the European Union airports that allow passengers to transport liquids with more than 100 milliliters (ML) and not have to remove electronic luggage devices.
“We received the evaluation of the European Civil Aviation Conference and we gave the European seal, based on its assessment, this first configuration of airport scanners that allows passengers to bring on board these larger liquid packaging,” said the European Commission for Transport, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
Speaking at the institution’s daily press conference in Brussels, the official confirmed that the approval of the European Commission “has already been given” for such equipment to operate in the European Union (EU).
“Practical measures are not the responsibility of airports. Currently, this technology that has been approved concerns 700 ‘scanners’ located in 21 member states,” the spokesman said without specifying.
However, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen warned: “This does not mean that now all passengers throughout the European Union can take larger liquid packaging. The responsibility to inform passengers remain from each airport and they have to fully inform passengers if they are using this state-of-the-art technology or if they are not using it”.
‘Green Light’ arises after, in the past, the community executive prohibited such technology, claiming that the equipment had technical problems, but now authorized them after the European Civil Aviation Conference recommended them.
The purpose of these ‘scanners’ is to accelerate safety controls, as passengers will not have to remove laptops and liquids from the hand luggage.
These boundaries began to be used after September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States and after several failed attacks on transatlantic flights in 2006.
In 2006, the European Commission adopted additional aviation safety rules, restricting the transport of liquids, aerosols and gels by passengers.
