CT scanners at Heathrow could mark the beginning of the end of the liquids ban

The introduction of more powerful 3D scanners for hand luggage at Heathrow was hailed as the "beginning of the end" of the ban on liquids on flights

CT scanners – already widely used in hospitals for patients "X-rays – can give a detailed 3D image of the inside of a person's suitcase.

Already used to check baggage in the hold, the Department of Transportation said that it would deploy CT scanners on a "small" number of safety lanes in Heathrow, so pbadengers using these lanes will not need to remove their laptops or liquids from their luggage because the scanner allows security personnel to examine the contents from all angles. 19659005] "It's the beginning of the end of the liquids ban and it's high time," said Philip Baum, editor of Aviation Security Magazin e, in an interview with the Sunday Times.

The current rules, introduced in 2 006 after a terrorist plot to bomb transatlantic flights with the help of liquid explosives, state that travelers must keep liquids up to 100ml in transparent plastic bags to be scanned separately from other items

The officials did not specify in which terminals they are scanning scanners, and the Department of Transport pointed out that pbadengers should always expect to have to remove items from their bags if asked to do it. According to the Sunday Times, John F Kennedy in New York and Geneva Airport, who both tested the technology earlier this month, said: "The UK has some of the strictest security measures the world and we are leading the way in using new technologies to improve safety control and provide a better pbadenger experience.

"We already have automated, state-of-the-art Many airports Explosive automatic detection technology is being tested in the UK

"If successful, this could lead to the future that pbadengers no longer need to withdraw s hand luggage for screening. "