Look forward to less time spent waiting at the airport. Thanks to new technology, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) said that it will be easing the current, strict liquid restrictions for airplanes.
An X-ray device that identifies bomb-making liquids may pave the way for a shorter time at security checkpoints.
The TSA, who’s researching the machine, said that it will soon be made readily available to all airports. The "hardware" behind it has already been largely accomplished, but software kinks for liquid identification are still being ironed out.
For example, researchers are figuring if the machines are precise enough to identify liquids without the passenger having to take it out of their bags.
TSA Administrator Kip Hawley said: “It’s not ready yet, but we are highly confident it will be effective.”
Already, many airports employ the X-ray machines without the software. By year’s end, 600 machines would have gone into operation, and 900 by the end of the 2009 fiscal year.
Mr Hawley expects America and foreign countries to be able to ease restrictions within a year due to the machines, thanks to good lab results. This week, America and the European Union met to discuss the issue.
The current regulations are listed on the TSA website.
Leave Your Comments