London City Airport has introduced new state-of-the-art millimeter-wave full-body scanners, which will help further increase the speed of security screening and detection at the airport. The Rohde & Schwarz QPS200 completes a scan in a matter of seconds and automatically detects potentially dangerous items.
The open plan design of the equipment means passengers simply stand in front of the scanner with their arms held slightly away from the body. If the scanner reports an alarm, the location of the object is marked on a graphic of the human body, with a neutral display preserving the privacy of passengers.
The introduction of the new scanners will help ensure the airport experience for passengers is quick and efficient, maintaining the airport’s customer proposition of 20 minutes from the front door to departure lounge, as part of a £2m (US$2.4m) security investment.
Melanie Burnley, director of customer experience at London City Airport, said, “Each day approximately 10,000 departing passengers pass through our central security search area and we constantly look at ways to improve the screening experience, including the use of new technology.
“The Rohde & Schwarz body scanner is one of the best in the industry and is easy for passengers to use, meaning we can keep their time in security to a minimum by quickly detecting any prohibited objects.”
Frank Mackel, managing director of Rohde & Schwarz UK, said, “We were easily able to install the scanners during a weekend down period. They were live and ready for passengers on the Monday morning. The scanners proved completely reliable, working continuously during the trial other than in scheduled downtime. They integrated well with London City Airport’s processes and systems. This pilot scheme demonstrates that we have a future proof technology and, with the expansion of the airport now approved, we are looking forward to working with City Airport in the future, trialling and testing new techniques and protocols with body scanners. This successful deployment at a major airport is a springboard for expanding our technology in the UK.”
The millimeter-wave technology used by the scanners operates in the frequency range between 70GHz and 80GHz, which Rohde & Schwarz claims is hundreds of times lower than that of a mobile phone.
