TSA launches 3D scanners to detect explosives
- The state-of-the-art scanners were launched in Newark
- TSA expects the scanners to eventually speed up security
- Officers screened over 3 million passengers for the first time
Testing on staging11
(NewsNation) — The Transportation Security Administration unveiled new state-of-the-art 3D scanners at Newark Liberty International Airport to improve the detection of explosives in time for the summer travel season.
The new scanners use sophisticated technology for enhanced threat protection, creating a 3D image that allows TSA agents to rotate a 360-degree image of a passenger’s bag. The image produced is clear enough to detect explosives, liquids and other threats.
Along with increased security, passengers will no longer have to remove their laptops and electronic devices when going through security.
Though the imaging will initially take a few extra seconds per passenger, TSA expects the technology will eventually lead to fewer bags needing to be manually checked, speeding up the security process.
Since mid-May, TSA has seen multiple days break into the top 10 busiest days in the agency’s 22-year history.
Typically, TSA screens approximately 2.5 million people daily nationwide. Since last month, the number of people screened has increased by several hundred thousand per day, with TSA officers screening more than 3 million individuals at checkpoints for the first time.
“Here at Newark we already have seen a notable increase in checkpoint volume,” said Thomas Carter, TSA’s Federal Security Director for New Jersey.
“We have been in close coordination with our airport, airline and travel partners, and we are more than ready to handle this summer’s increased travel volumes as we head into the July 4th holiday travel period,” he said.