Long lines at airports
Long lines at airports
perhaps some salvation is coming
Long lines are a perennial problem at airports. Lines form for a variety of things. Check-in and baggage drop-off. Security lines, especially security lines. Boarding process lines. Long immigration and customs lines. There are lines everywhere. Lines are often a choke point.
Over the last several years security screening has been a major pain point in terms of wait times. To support screening one takes out the laptops, other electronic devices, all the cables, and anything liquid, and yet in spite of the segregation and removal things often still get delayed. 9/11 has been one of the key drivers of this change slowing everything down since the happening of the event.
Slowly though I see some salvation coming. There is a new class of millimeter wave detection machines that are able to scan passengers effectively and faster. New Computer Tomography (CT) machines are improving baggage screening while entering airports. Smith Detection and Heathrow were trialing these new technologies where one did not need to remove anything from the hand baggage for scanning. It was a world of improvement. This year I noticed this technology being rolled out in Frankfurt, Berlin, and Munich. Experiences varied from one place to another and I found that not all gates or terminals were equipped with the same modern technology.
The photo above was being stuck in the Terminal B gates in Frankfurt which is still stuck with the older technology from twenty years ago, but the knowledge of which terminal has which scanners can be used by frequent travelers using what they know is the most effective and speedier entry point. Which is what I plan to do on my trip back. Use my knowledge of what works how and where to my advantage. To breeze through the security lines and also work around delays in Immigration lines where there are some automated locations that support Canadians allowed usage of automated systems along with the Euro-centric brethren.
In due time I shall possibly update you on my successes or my failures in using my current knowledge.
More at:
Heathrow trials advanced scanners to end liquid limit at UK airports - https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/uk-news/2022/11/24/heathrow-trials-advanced-scanners-to-end-liquid-limit-at-uk-airports/
Smiths Detection - https://www.airport-technology.com/contractors/security/smiths-detection/
Millimeter wave scanner - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner
New CT scanners enhance security at Munich Airport - https://airport-world.com/new-ct-scanners-enhance-security-at-munich-airport/
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