TSA testing of CT scans on carry-on bags may alleviate need for laptop ban

The Transportation Security Administration is testing whether CT scanning of carry-on bags could better detect contraband, a move that could alleviate the need for a much talked about and largely dreaded European laptop ban.

The test, involving American Airlines passengers at Phoenix and Boston airports, comes amid debate over whether to expand a ban on electronics larger than cell phones in carry-on bags of some flights from other countries.

The computed tomography (CT) scanner would give TSA officers a 3D view of bags that can be rotated. Such images are far more detailed than the simpler ones from standard X-ray scanners, the TSA said.

“We already use this type of technology for checked baggage, and we expect these smaller checkpoint-sized machines will provide the same high level of security," Huban Gowadia, TSA’s acting administrator, said.

The Department of Homeland Security banned laptops and other electronics larger than cellphones in March in carry-on bags of flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa. The order came in response to intelligence that the Islamic State developed explosives that resembled laptop batteries, but that would still allow the electronic devices to turn on.

John Kelly, the secretary of Homeland Security, has since been conferring with counterparts in Europe and Asia about a potential expansion of the ban to flights from those regions.

But consumer advocates and some security experts have questioned the strategy because it could hinder travel. Storing more electronics in checked luggage also raises concerns because on rare occasions the lithium batteries spark fires that could go undetected in cargo.

Depending how tests go, the CT technology could potentially allow travelers to leave containers of liquids and laptops in carry-on bags at all times, according to the TSA. Liquids are currently limited to 3.4-ounce containers in carry-on bags, and laptops must be removed from bags for separate screening in standard checkpoint lanes.

If additional scrutiny is needed, TSA officers will open and inspect a bag to take a closer look at suspicious objects.

American Airline passengers at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Terminal 4 and at Boston Logan International Airport’s Terminal E will undergo the CT screening test.