Over the past few years, airports around the world have been deploying smarter scanners, allowing passengers to leave their electronics and liquids inside their hand luggage when passing through security checks. From 28 June, Helsinki Airport is taking things one step further, doubling the volume of liquids travellers are allowed to have in their carry-ons, announced airport company Finavia.
The company has now completed its two-phase development project which aimed at smoother and more stress-free security controls. In the first phase, in the summer of 2022, Finavia opened a completely new security control at Helsinki Airport. Its eight state-of-the-art security control lines utilise new technology based on computer tomography (CT). Thanks to the new scanners, liquids and electronics no longer need to be removed from hand baggage.
It is important for us to serve our passengers as well as possible and provide air passengers with a pleasant airport experience. We believe that with this new technology, we can offer our passengers a smoother and more relaxed start to their journey.
Ari Kumara, Finavia’s Security Manager
The second phase of the reform took place in June 2023, when two more lines were opened at the airport and all ten security control lines became operational. In this way, the possibilities of the new technology are now fully utilised and Finavia can not only increase the amount of liquid that may be carried in hand baggage to two litres per passenger, but containers bigger than 100 millilitres are now allowed.
The CT technology allows the new scanners to create very detailed 3D scans of a bag’s contents and officers can then view and rotate the image to be able to analyse the contents in detail. Furthermore, the machines also use complex algorithms to detect weapons, explosives and other prohibited items. Due to the high accuracy of the apparatus, they can even detect explosives in liquids, which is why travellers are allowed to leave them in their bags when going through security.
The new equipment is only in use in the security control in the departures hall at Helsinki Airport, current liquid restrictions continuing to apply to passengers departing from Finavia’s regional airports and passengers passing through the security control for transfer flights at Helsinki Airport.
Since similar new technology is currently used only at a very limited number of major European airports and at some airports in the United States, passengers may encounter different security control procedures at various stages of their journey, so they should still be prepared to comply with different regulation when needed.
