London’s Heathrow airport will need longer than mandated by the UK government to install advanced luggage scanners that can end the practice of removing liquids and electronic items from hand-held bags.
The hub will likely complete the switch to computed tomography scanners only by mid-2025, a year past the UK government’s deadline, according to a person familiar with the matter. The heavier machines mean that some screening areas will need their flooring reinforced, which will take time, the person said asking not to be identified as the discussions are confidential.
The UK announced the transition to the new machines back in December 2022. It said then that CT scanners will improve security and eventually allow fliers to carry containers with up to 2 liters (0.5 gallons) of fluid, doing away with the 100-milliliter mini bottle and the ritual of discarding larger volumes of liquid, however valuable.
Read More: Liquid Limits to Cease at UK Airports With 2024 Scanner Upgrade
Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport, frequently sees lengthy security queues during the peak travel seasons, and the machines will allow passengers to not have to spend time taking items out of their bags, speeding up the process.
Representative for Heathrow and the Department for Transport declined to comment.
In Dec. 2022, the DfT set mid-2024 as the deadline for the installation of the new scanners. At that time, it also said the implementation would be gradual over the next two years.
In an interview last month, Heathrow’s CFO Javier Echave said that the airport was in the process of rolling out the technology “in the coming months and years” across its more than 100 gates.
The scanners have already been introduced at other UK hubs including London City Airport, where they have reduced security waiting times significantly and passenger feedback has been very positive, according to the operator.
