Purchasing C3 scanners is on average eight times more expensive than the conventional X-ray screening machines they are replacing (Photo: Leeds Bradford Airport).

The latest amendments to the EU Aviation Security Regulation have introduced further restrictions to the use of C3 scanners at airports in the EU, as well as Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Norway (EEA).

The new restrictions (or more accurately the returning restrictions) were introduced as of 1 September 2024, and offer yet another setback to the roll-out of C3 scanners, which were intended to remove the need for liquid limits per passenger, and concurrently allow travellers to keep electronic devices inside cabin bags as they pass through security.

While the latter of these benefits is still in place where C3 scanners are utilised, the 100ml limit for individual containers of liquids is back for all.

The primary reason given has been that of an undisclosed technical issue with the scanners.

UK regional airports Leeds Bradford; London City; Aberdeen; Southend; Teesside, and Birmingham are all too familiar with this ongoing debacle, as concerns over the efficacy and installation timelines for the scanners at several major UK hubs led to a U-turn from the UK Department for Transport (DfT) in June.

Commenting on these changes, Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI Europe, said: “Security is non-negotiable, it is at the very top of priorities for Europe’s airports. As such all airports will comply in full with the new restriction. However, the fact remains that those airports which have been early adopters of this new technology are being heavily penalised both operationally and financially.”

He continued: “They had taken the decision to invest and deploy C3 scanners in good faith, based on the EU having greenlighted this equipment without any restriction attached. The decision to now impose significant restrictions to their use questions the trust and confidence the industry can place in the current EU certification system for aviation security equipment.

We need to draw the lessons from this situation and make sure the EU certification system provides the necessary legal certainty and operational stability moving forward.”

ACI Europe added this will also reduce the passenger throughput of security checkpoints at airports that have deployed C3 scanners, resulting in significant operational strain, the mitigation of which will require the deployment of additional staff and the reconfiguration of security checkpoints, where feasible.

C3 scanners have been deployed by airports in a limited number of countries, such as Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, and Sweden. However, investments have been committed by airports in many other countries (Photo: London City Airport)

Finally, it said the new restriction means those airports which have already invested in C3 scanners to improve the passenger experience and their operational efficiency are heavily penalised – as little of the benefits associated with the use of this cutting edge technology will materialise.

Currently, no no timeline and no process have been put in place to signal when and how these restrictions will be lifted.

ACI Europe has called on the European Commission and Member States to urgently develop a roadmap with set milestones to waive the current restrictions and restore trust in the EU certification system for aviation security equipment.

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