Airports to be equipped with CT scanners to detect explosives, other threats

OTTAWA — Canada’s transport security agency says several airports will be equipped with CT scanners in a bid to detect explosives and other threats.

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority says it plans to install the technology, which provides 360-degree views via computerized X-ray imaging, at airport checkpoints across the country in the coming years.

The project kicked off Wednesday at the Vancouver airport, where the first of the machines now sit astride conveyer belts in the security screening area.

Vancouver International Airport CEO Tamara Vrooman says travellers no longer need to remove liquids, aerosols, gels or large electronics — laptops included — from their carry-on bags. The changes should mean lines move faster.

Nada Semaan, who heads the federal security authority, says the technology aims to catch explosives and other “threat items” while enhancing the passenger experience.

The agency says more upgrades are planned at other airports over several years, beginning this fall, with funding from the Crown corporation amounting to about $23 million for the first year.