The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) says new technology at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is going to make your time in the security lineup a little easier.
Security officials gathered at YVR Wednesday to announce that new “CT scanners” are now active at Vancouver’s airport. CATSA President Nada Semaan says it will make for a better experience for passengers.
“At screening lines where CT technology is being used, passengers will be able to keep their permitted liquids, aerosols, and gels in quantities of 100 milliliters. Medical devices and large electronics such as laptops in their carry-on baggage during screening,” said Semaan.
The U.S. National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering says CT — computed tomography — is a computerized x-ray imaging procedure in which a narrow beam of x-rays is aimed at a subject and quickly rotated around, producing signals that are processed by the machine’s computer to generate cross-sectional images, or “slices.” Those slices can then be digitally “stacked” together to form a three-dimensional image.
In medicine, CT scanners are used for diagnostic procedures; at YVR they’ll be used to screen your carry-on luggage.
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Semaan says it also enhances security itself.
“This state-of-the-art technology will greatly improve security effectiveness by enhancing screening officers ability to detect explosive materials as well as possible threat items through very in-depth views of the carry on baggage and items in the actual screening bins.”
Effective Wednesday, the scanners will be working at all lanes on the new ABC security checkpoint at YVR .
Semaan says work is underway to install the scanners at other Canadian airports, but she expects the work will take a few years to complete.
—With files from Cole Schisler