Passengers will not have to take out liquids and laptops at the controls of Spanish airports from 2024

Spanish airport operator Aena will introduce new 3D X-ray scanners that allow baggage to be inspected without opening it. Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat will be the pioneers in implementing the system.

The days of the most recurring nuisance for travellers who must take a flight are numbered. As of 2024, passengers at Spanish airports will no longer have to remove liquids or electronic devices from their hand luggage at security controls, as is currently the case. Aena is going to introduce new scanners at security controls with X-ray technology that generates a 3D image that facilitates baggage inspection without the need to deposit liquids in a plastic bag or remove electronic equipment and leave it on trays.

The airports of Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat will be the first to be equipped with the new scanners, as early as 2024. All the other airports run by Aena will follow later in the year.

Currently, to fly with liquid products, aerosols and other gels in the cabin, it is imperative that they are in containers of 100 ml maximum (or 100 g for creams, pastes etc.), themselves placed in resealable plastic bags of 20 cm by 20 cm.

The rule was put in place in November 2006. British authorities had foiled a terrorist plot a few months earlier, which planned to blow up planes in the air with bombs hidden in drink bottles.

All of this could soon be a distant memory thanks to high-definition 3D scanners. The equipment (CT scanner) is similar to the CT scanners used in hospitals. It allows you to view the contents in three dimensions and inspect the bag from several angles. The objectives are clear: to speed up checks before boarding, and thus reduce queues while improving security.

These scanners are already in use at more than a dozen airports in the United States. In 2021, Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam also deployed these 3D scanners and removed restrictions for liquids.