Security checks
There Don’t Have to be Queues
Munich is setting an example: laptops don’t have to be unpacked. And shampoo and shower gel can also stay in the hand luggage during the security check. Even the waiting time is acceptable because the control lane now checks an average of 260 travellers per hour instead of 100 – but with even more security.
More Checked Passengers, More Convenience
Number of checked passengers per hour and control lane
This is not a vision of the future, but has been reality at Munich Airport since February 2019 at two control lanes – equipped with, among other things, computer tomography technology. The Upper Bavaria government’s Luftamt Südbayern (South Bavaria Aviation Office) tested the system with the support of the airport and Lufthansa. With success: Bavaria is currently tendering 60 CT machines. With just a few exceptions, all control lanes will be equipped with them in future. As a result, the Munich Hub is joining Amsterdam, which is considered a role model for state-of-the-art checks in Europe and currently has 64 CT machines. Together with the Federal Ministry of the Interior we have also successfully tested a modern control system at Cologne/Bonn.
The Federal Audit Office Recommends Reforms
In the Coalition Agreement, the Federal Government demands customer-friendly security checks. At the end of 2019, the Federal Audit Office pointed out more potential for efficiency. The main elements of this are:
- Scanners: State-of-the-art computer tomography technology automatically detects explosives in hand luggage. Computers and permitted liquids can thus remain in the bags. These scanners should be used across the board.
- Conveyor Technology: The conveyor technology is key to the efficiency of the system. For example, special cameras can check whether the hand luggage trays are empty. If they are, conveyor belts automatically transport them back to the start.
- Teamwork: The aviation industry wants to bring more security check expertise to the table. This could also free up the Federal Police Force. Responsibility for the highest security remains with the authorities. A culture of cooperation is and remains important.
- Procurement: In Bavaria, the federal state government procures the security technology for the control points. At every other major passenger airport – including Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Berlin – the Federal Police is responsible for them. On the one hand, this gives the Federal Police a good negotiating position with the manufacturers. On the other hand, individual solutions from specialist providers are more difficult to realise and procurement can be protracted. Politicians, authorities and the aviation industry must therefore scrutinise this practice.
Identity Checking by Airlines: No Value Added for Aviation Security
The Bundesrat has introduced a draft amendment to the Aviation Security Act, according to which airlines should compare a boarding card with an identification document prior to passengers boarding the plane. Such an “ID check” by airlines is highly controversial among policy-makers in view of the dubious value added and the great potential for delays. Aviation security in Germany is ensured by the careful checking of passengers and all other people in the security area. Moreover, the airline can scarcely acts as an auxiliary police force. Much rather, the authorities should conduct appropriate checks at border control or by random checks to identify criminals wanted by the police.
More Checked Passengers, More Convenience
Number of checked passengers per hour and control lane
Further content on the topic
Press release of the Bavarian State Government
Shorter Waiting Times and More Convenience for Travellers at Munich Airport
New technology for security checks was tested for around a year at Munich Airport. The results exceeded expectations. 97 per cent of the passengers questioned were satisfied with the convenient and quick clearance.
