New baggage screening machines unveiled at Tampa International

TPA previews expanded security checkpoints

FOX 13's Llyod Sowers reports on new "state-of-the-art" baggage screening machines in Airside E that will soon go online. These machines will serve as CT scans for baggage, and TPA says all screening lanes at the airport will eventually have the technology.

TAMPA - Screening your carry-on bags can be frustrating and time-consuming. But now there's new technology at Tampa International Airport that could make your experience a better one.

New screening machines at TPA

"This checkpoint is going to be a state-of-the-art checkpoint," says Mark Howell, spokesperson for the Transportation Safety Administration. New baggage screening machines in Airside E will soon go online that look and act like a Ct scan.

"The nice thing about these machines is it gives us 360-degree screening capabilities," says Howell. "We can zoom in and out, and we can put it on a 360-degree axis, so it gives us a better detection capability."

Airside E will be the first to use the new machines with Airside A to follow.

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What they're saying:

Eventually, all baggage screening lanes at TPA will have the new machines. They're being installed in major airports across the country.

With these new machines, regular passengers can keep their electronics and liquids in their bag. All carry-on luggage must be placed in a bin to be screened. The bins are automatically carried back to the start.

The new hi-tech imaging takes a few seconds longer, but airport officials say other features will make up for it.

Nearly 20,000-square-feet is being added to the new screening area in Airside E. They're expanding to seven lines approaching the screening area. Instead of one passenger at a time placing bags on the belt, the new system allows multiple passengers to load belongings simultaneously.

In the new configuration, passengers will turn left into the screening area as they exit the tram from the main terminal. While the new equipment is installed over the coming months, passengers will see a mixture of old and new equipment.

"Because we have so many different configurations, it's very important that you listen to the officers. It will be a little different because of the technology we're using," says Howell.

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