Removing liquids and electronics from hand luggage will no longer be needed at Brussels Airport security screenings at Brussels Airport in the future, the airport announced on Friday.
The security screening infrastructure at the airport in Zaventem will be completely revamped in the next few years: the first new scanners will be in use from 2028, and the entire security screening system at departure will be replaced in the course of 2029.
"The safety of our passengers and staff is always our top priority. With this new technology, we will not only continue to ensure safety, but also make security screening even smoother and easier for our passengers," said Brussels Airport's CEO, Arnaud Feist.
Every departing passenger at Brussels Airport must pass through security screening. Currently, passengers walk through a metal detector, while their hand luggage goes through an X-ray scanner.
Electronic devices, such as laptops and tablets, must be removed from hand luggage, and passengers are allowed to carry a maximum of one litre of liquids in containers no larger than 100 ml.
Credit: Brussels Airport
The new CT scanners will allow liquids and electronics to remain in the hand luggage and, under current European regulations, passengers may carry an unlimited amount of liquids (in containers that may not be larger than two litres).
The passenger security screening system, meanwhile, will be equipped with "cutting-edge technology", including body scanners for passenger screening and CT scanners for hand luggage.
In June, a first test with a body scanner will take place. In the coming months, preparations and plans for the project will continue, aiming to begin building an additional temporary screening platform with the new technology in 2027.
"With the new scanners, we will also increase capacity so that we are prepared for any growth in passenger numbers in the coming years," Feist added.
Illustrative image of passengers with suitcases at Brussels Airport. Credit: Belga/James Arthur Gekiere
European regulations have loosened up when it comes to liquids, but only if an airport is outfitted with the latest CT scanners for hand luggage.
At Brussels Airport, the first new scanners will be operational on this platform in 2028. Once this additional capacity is available, the current pre-departure security screening equipment will be replaced in phases to ensure that sufficient capacity is available at all times.
By summer 2029, all 19 screening lanes on departure are to be equipped with the new scanners. New scanners for transfer passengers screening will then be introduced in a later stage.
This revamp is part of Hub 3.0, the programme through which Brussels Airport is investing in the passenger experience and capacity at the airport, ensuring it remains a "convenient, comfortable, and future-proof European hub".
Similar systems are already in place in several other major European airports, including London Heathrow, Schiphol, Dublin, Rome Fiumicino and Frankfurt. Many other airports in Europe are also in the process of installing these scanners, which should improve air passengers' experiences overall.
