Passenger Screening
Passenger
The world recently marked
the five-year anniversary of
Screening:
the 11 September terrorist
attacks. Since that fateful day
we have suffered several
other serious attempts to
any improvement?
target aviation by means of
passengers carrying threat
items through the airport
security checkpoint. Even so,
regulators have taken only
tentative steps to improve
checkpoint-screening
technology despite their
recognising that the reliance
on a combination of metal
detectors and X-ray needs
serious re-evaluation. Steve
Wolff assesses where we are,
reviews potential candidate
technologies to improve
checkpoint effectiveness and
explores options for
improving passenger
screening for explosives, the
terrorists’ latest hand-carried
weapon of choice.
A
lthough more sensitive than prior technologies configured in operationally adopting new technologies will reshape
to 9/11, walkthrough metal practical ways to detect explosive threats the checkpoint significantly and
detectors (WTMDs) are the only must be deployed. Recently, new systems extensive effort will be needed to avoid
scanners used to screen all have emerged and have undergone trials creating bottlenecks, especially at
passengers. Improved secondary at government laboratories and secondary search. So, what
search procedures, such as more airports worldwide. technologies are out there and how
thorough pat-downs and the occasional The options for screening passengers might they be used?
use of trace detectors (e.g. for are limited; naturally the types of hard
screening medical casts in the US) radiation applied to bags cannot be Short-term Options
have been implemented. However, as used for health reasons. An additional As with baggage, technologies largely
WTMDs do not find explosives on the complicating factor is personal privacy. fall into three categories: trace detec-
body, only passenger profiling or a In spite of these limitations, several tors (ETDs), bulk detectors and imaging
random process can potentially identify promising technologies already systems. Let’s start with ETDs as they
terrorists carrying explosives. This available today can play a partial – have been around the longest and are
makes secondary search of only though not complete – role in screening currently the most mature systems.
marginal overall benefit against passengers and have undergone trials ETDs can be configured as desktop
today’s sophisticated terrorists, who in the US, UK and Russia. Companies devices that use a manual, contact
are familiar enough with the are developing other less mature technique for sampling or walk-in/
checkpoint operations to slip them- techniques that may form part of through portals, relying on puffs of air
selves and their devices through. practical, cost-effective screening to dislodge minute particles, which are
WTMDs will still be needed, but new solutions in the future. Regardless, then sucked into a sensor. ETDs suffer
8 www.asi-mag.com February 2007 Aviationsecurityinternational
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