Airport security

Airport Security – Checks Made Easier for Passengers?

For air travelers, security checks are often the most stressful part of the airport experience. Even for seasoned passengers, changing security rules and technology can come as a surprise. One of the latest changes in Finnish airport security has to do with checking for traces of explosives and has led to minor changes in other security routines.

Helsinki Airport is currently testing the Avatar security scanners. The new technology promises smoother and faster security checks. How will it work? A security check officer will direct the passenger to the Avatar scanner only if the metal detector’s alarm is set off. The scanner then uses low-frequency waves to create a generic and unrecognizable image that lets the officer know which part triggered the alarm. This enables the security officer to check only that part manually.

Security Services Supervisor, Joni Pekkanen, told finavia.fi about the changes in security check technology, and what we can expect in the future. “In Finland, the legislation for aviation security is set by the EU. The latest major change came into effect in 2015, and requires the use of explosive trace detectors in security checks,” Pekkanen says.