Smart Security Will Allow Passengers At Rome Fiumicino To Keep Liquids & Electronics In Their Hand Luggage

Is the smart tech coming to an airport near you?

Passengers departing Rome Fiumicino's Terminal 1 will now be able to fly with unrestricted liquid allowances and other perks thanks to new high-tech hand baggage screening equipment. The new machines will be coming to other European airports in the coming years, perhaps spelling the end of liquid restrictions in cabin baggage for good.

The hand baggage screening experience at Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) is about to get a lot better following the airport's installation of smart tech screening equipment. The airport has rolled out C3-standard Explosive Detection System Cabin Baggage (EDS-CB) screening equipment - designed by Smiths Detection - to all passengers departing Terminal 1, providing a faster and more convenient airport experience.

The CT scanners will herald the end of 100ml liquid restrictions in hand luggage and the need to remove electronic equipment from bags, two ever-present features of the airport baggage screening experience that can significantly slow down the overall process. The technology had already been available to frequent flyers at Fiumicino but will now be extended to all passengers departing Terminal 1, which handled around 70% of the airport's departures.

Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) commented,

"A hi-tech revolution is taking place at Fiumicino Airport, where security checks before boarding, at Terminal One, are even quicker and easier. Indeed, thanks to a technology that performs a real 'CT scan', passengers are now able to carry liquids even larger than 100ml in their hand luggage, as well as computers, tablets and mobile phones without having to remove separate them from their suitcases."

The scanning equipment is currently being installed at Terminal 3 and should be ready to go before the end of the year. Be advised that flights to the USA and Israel are excluded and will be subject to specific screening procedures.

Ivan Bassato, Chief Aviation Officer of Aeroporti di Roma, added,

"The installation of new technologies with a view to smart security aims at making passengers’ experience at the security gate even more effective and streamlined, also confirming that our approach to service quality cannot disregard innovation, an enabling factor of ADR's industrial strategy."

Smiths Detection, which specializes in threat detection and security screening technologies, said that its scanners offer the highest level of screening security whilst also delivering "optimum checkpoint performance" and lower operational costs. The tech not only eliminates the need for removing electronic devices but also reduces the rate of tray handling, significantly trimming the screening time per passenger.

Aeroporti di Roma explained,

"The new machines, which use X-ray scanners to obtain a computer tomography of the baggage, are capable of producing high-resolution 3D volumetric images with automatic detection of potentially dangerous substances, making even more effective and faster the ability of security screening staff to analyze them."

Up until the turn of the millennia, it was normal for passengers to carry whatever liquids they wanted in their cabin baggage. However, in light of enhanced security concerns following the September 11th, 2001 hijackings and a liquid-based bomb plot uncovered in 2006, liquids were suddenly banned on aircraft before authorities decided small quantities of 100ml in cabin baggage were permissible.

Milan Linate Airport was the first in Europe to adopt the smart screening systems and will soon be followed by several other European airports in the coming year. The UK is moving forward with plans to implement the CT scanners across British airports and has set a Summer 2024 deadline for what it deemed "the biggest shake-up of airport security rules in decades."

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Milan Malpensa Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol Airport are also set to roll out the smart tech within the year, while Spanish airport operator Aena has also confirmed that the tech will be coming to its airports by the beginning of 2024.

Are you happy to see airports expediting the cabin baggage screening process with smart technology? Let us know in the comment section.

Journalist - With 10 years of experience as a travel writer and aviation analyst, Luke has worked with industry-leaders including Skyscanner, KLM and HotelsCombined throughout his career. As a passionate traveler based across the Middle East and East Asia, Luke offers strong insights into the travel and aviation industry. Based in the United Kingdom