New baggage scanner working just in time

Passengers leaving Guernsey have faced having their hold bags searched by hand at random over the last year, as the airport equipment was no longer considered sufficient by the regulator for the job.

That had caused flight delays, despite the vast reduction in travellers.

With hundreds of travellers set to pass through the airport in the next few days, airport director Colin Le Ray said he was relieved the new system had gone live on Monday.

‘At the moment only one machine is active,’ he said.

‘We expect the second machine to be installed soon and it will go live in late August or early September.

Each scanner is capable of processing 850 bags per hour. Only one scanner is used at a time.

They have been installed in a newly-created area at the western end of the terminal, which has been carved out from the departure area.

Mr Le Ray was delighted with the new equipment.

‘We had delays due to lockdown and shortages of materials like plasterboard, so all credit to the project management team,’ he said.

The delayed £12m. project started in January – five years after Guernsey Airport was warned it would be needed.