TSA Adding Almost $200 Million Worth of New X-Ray Security Machines

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced a new $198 million order to procure mid-sized Computed Tomography (CT) x-ray systems for airport checkpoints across the United States.

TSA officials revealed on Thursday that it awarded Computed Tomography the massive order of more than 300 mid-sized units as part of an effort to speed up the security screening process while still keeping travelers safe.

The federal agency anticipates the new CT units will begin deployment to airport checkpoints around the country by early 2022.

“This award is another important step in enhancing aviation security,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. “It provides our dedicated frontline officers with one of the best tools available to screen passenger carry-on items and also improves the passenger experience by allowing passengers to keep more items in their carry-on bags during the screening process.”

CT scanners apply sophisticated algorithms to detect explosives by creating 3-D images. TSA officers can then view and rotate the image on three axes to analyze and identify any threatening items that may be in a passenger’s baggage.

Last week, the TSA announced last week it reported its lowest number of air travelers since May, particularly on August 24 and 25. On those days, 1,468,219 and 1,539,707 passengers, respectively, were screened across U.S. airports, which was down from 2,015,088 on August 24, 2019, and 2,188,688 on August 25, 2019.