London City Airport (LCY) is preparing to take a big step forward in improving its passengers’ experience. By the end of this month, the airport will become the first mainstream airport in the UK to offer a complete CT security experience, thanks to the installation of four new CT security scanning lanes that will allow passengers to leave their liquids and electronics in their carry-on bags.
The airport has been striving to enhance the passenger experience, and its efforts are paying off. With two new-generation CT security scanning lanes already in operation, London City Airport is set to improve the process further. They will add a third lane by mid-March, retiring the last old-generation machine. The final new-generation lane will be operational by the end of March, ensuring a seamless security check process for passengers and making their airport experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
London City is known for its fast and efficient security screening process, taking under three minutes on average from start to finish. This has led to the airport earning the best Net Promoter Score of all London airports, with a score of 57.
Airport CEO, Robert Sinclair, has also shared his excitement for the coming months, stating that the airport will be ready to serve close to 2019 levels of passengers by the summer.
“London City is continuing to move in the right direction. The start of the year has been in line with expectations, but we will see a step change from the Easter period onwards and we will be geared up to serve close to 2019 levels of passengers in periods through the summer.
And the good news for anyone planning a holiday or a business trip is that we will be the first mainstream UK airport to offer a fully CT security experience from the end of this month. The new lanes will not only cut hassle, but also cut queuing times, which I know passengers will love.”
London City Airport Catching Up With Helsinki
London City is not the only airport investing in new scanning technology. Helsinki Airport (HEL) in Finland implemented new CT scanning technology in 2018, allowing passengers to keep all their liquids and electronics in their carry-on bags, not only cutting down on the time and hassle of security checks but also providing a more effective method of detecting potential threats.
Finavia, the owner of Helsinki Airport, announced they will remove the 100ml liquids rule by the start of summer 2023 for all those departing from the Finish capital city.
Ari Kumara, Vice President – Security at Finavia, says,
“A year ago, we introduced advanced security control technology at Helsinki Airport. These devices eliminated the need to remove liquids and electronics from hand baggage, which has made security control faster.
We want to be the leading European airport company in service development. It is important for us to serve our passengers as well as possible and provide high-quality services at our airports. We believe that with the new technology, we can offer our passengers a more relaxed and smoother start to their journey”
The new procedure only applies to passengers departing from Helsinki. The liquid restrictions will continue to apply to passengers departing from Finavia’s regional airports and transfer passengers coming to Helsinki Airport from outside the EU.
Liquid Restrictions Weren’t Always A Thing
Although it may be hard to imagine now, there was a time when liquid restrictions at airports were not a thing. The introduction of these regulations followed a foiled terrorist plot in 2006 that involved liquid explosives. Since then, carrying liquids in containers larger than 100 millilitres has been banned in carry-on bags at airports worldwide.
While a change in regulations could cause confusion and frustration for travellers, airports like London City and Helsinki are leading the way in implementing new technologies to improve the passenger experience and increase security measures.
What do you think about the installation of new CT scanners at LCY? Let us know in the comments!
