The Airports Council International (ACI) Europe has reacted to the latest European Union aviation security rules that will place restrictions of the use of next-generation scanner technology in airports all over the bloc, as well as in the European Economic Area (EEA) countries of Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway.
Benefits of C3 scanners
The so-called “C3” scanners have been widely adopted across the bloc, following previous certification approval from the EU. Though around eight times more expensive than classic X-ray scanners, they were touted as bringing huge benefits to flyers and hubs, speeding up airport security procedures and passenger throughput, thanks to detection standards that supposedly meant passengers would no longer face limits on carrying liquids and could carry on devices such as laptops without the awkward process of unpacking everything at security points.
100ml restriction on liquids to stay, for now
From 1 September 2024 however, a 100ml cap on liquids on flights will remain in place, the EU has said. Though the move is expected to be temporary, no timeframe has been announced for lifting the 100ml restriction.
Airports will have to deploy additional staff and reconfigure equipment as needed. The news is a blow to airports that have already invested in the tech, a commitment that in some cases entailed wholesale infrastructure and construction changes in order to accommodate the heavier equipment in concourses, as well as more expensive running and maintenance costs.
“Security is non-negotiable”
Representing over 500 member airports in 55 countries and facilitating 90% of commercial air traffic in Europe, the Director General of ACI Europe, Olivier Jankovec, has let his feelings be known.
“Security is non-negotiable, it is at the very top of priorities for Europe’s airports. As such all airports will comply in full with the new restriction,” he said in a statement, but added: “However, the fact remains that those airports which have been early adopters of this new technology are being heavily penalised both operationally and financially. They had taken the decision to invest and deploy C3 scanners in good faith, based on the EU having greenlighted this equipment without any restriction attached. The decision to now impose significant restrictions to their use questions the trust and confidence the industry can place in the current EU certification system for aviation security equipment. We need to draw the lessons from this situation and make sure the EU certification system provides the necessary legal certainty and operational stability moving forward.”
