New hand luggage scanners should ease airport delays

But travellers should fill their trays, as the machine struggles if they are too light.

The security area also now includes a new footwear scanner, meaning most passengers will be able to keep their shoes on.

As part of a trial, passengers using the primary security lane will not be required to remove large electrical items or liquids less than 100ml from their cabin bags.

They will also be asked to leave all items in their hand luggage, although some items may have to undergo additional screening.

‘I’m pleased to confirm that the two new scanners and tray return system within the CSA have been commissioned and are in operation,’ said Guernsey Ports chief commercial & infrastructure officer Ben Le Huray.

‘We appreciate that some passengers have experienced delays when passing through the CSA. There are a number of factors involved, not least the fine tuning of the new equipment and associated processes.’

He said work was being done to minimise disruption as much as possible.

‘We apologise to those who have been impacted as we continue to develop our processes and procedures for our new equipment and wish to assure our passengers that Guernsey Ports, together with its security services partner, are doing everything possible to minimise the impact at this time.’

As the screening trays travel through safety-weighted curtains at both ends of the scanners, if the contents are too light they may need to be weighted down to assure they remain aligned during the scan.

The upgrades form part of the airport’s security upgrades programme, which ensures the island maintains safety and regulatory compliance.

‘Security regulations in the aviation world have become increasingly demanding in recent years, largely as a result of events elsewhere.

‘However, that inevitably impacts on us in Guernsey, if we want to retain access to domestic and international travel networks,’ said Guernsey Ports head of passenger operations and aviation security Steve Langlois.

‘Continued investment in our security assets is essential to improve the experience for our passengers and to ensure Guernsey Airport remains open, safe and secure, both now and in the future.’