HONG KONG – Travelers will not have to unpack their carry-on luggage while passing through security at the Hong Kong International Airport from next week thanks to a new smart security screening system.

Starting Tuesday, passengers will be able to keep their electronic devices, including laptop computers and mobile phones, as well as liquids, aerosols, and gels in their carry-on luggage, according to the Airport Authority Hong Kong.  

The new system will be put into service in phases, the AAHK said, adding that the HKIA will be the world’s first to operate smart security screening channels in the entire airport.

The upgrades of the security screening system at HKIA not only further enhance the overall screening performance, but also make mandatory airport procedures more pleasant to passengers, with the existing aviation security standards and requirements remaining intact.

Steven Yiu, Executive Director, Airport Operations of AAHK

Enabled by the latest 3D and 360-degree CT-based X-ray scanning technology, as opposed to the existing system’s 2D capability, the new passenger security screening system features 50 channels and 32 full-body scanners.

It will be installed and put into operation in Terminal 1 by phases. The first batch at South and North Departures Immigration Halls in Terminal 1 will be put into service on Tuesday, the AAHK said in a release on Wednesday.

“We will adopt the new smart security screening channel in the entire airport,” said Steven Yiu, executive director (Airport Operations) of AAHK, stressing that the Authority attaches great importance to aviation safety as well as passenger experience.

The new system is also equipped with other passenger-friendly functions including auto tray recirculation, in-built tray sterilization, and automatic alert to passengers for uncollected items on the tray.

For passengers who fail to clear the archway metal detector, further screening will be conducted in a new full-body scanner, instead of the existing manual search using a hand-held detector, the AAHK said.

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The advanced imaging technology deployed in the full-body scanner can accurately locate any concealed items while reducing physical contact between passengers and security staff.

“The upgrades of the security screening system at the HKIA not only further enhance the overall screening performance, but also make mandatory airport procedures more pleasant to passengers, with the existing aviation security standards and requirements remaining intact,” said Yiu.

Apart from enhancing passenger experience, the introduction of the new system will help improve operational efficiency, increasing the average throughput by about 20 percent, said the Authority.

Meanwhile, the AAHK announced on Thursday that it has awarded the tender for the development of autonomous vehicles and the associated transportation system for carrying visitors between the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and SKYCITY at the HKIA to KCM-PML Joint Venture.

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To be the first autonomous mass transportation system in Hong Kong, it will operate on Airportcity Link, a dedicated vehicular bridge integrated with a pedestrian walkway.

Formed by KC Smart Mobility Company Limited, a subsidiary of Kwoon Chung Bus Holdings Limited, and Prime Motors Limited, the KCM-PML Joint Venture has also joined forces with Baidu as technology provider and Xiamen King Long as vehicle supplier, added the AAHK.