TSA installing new 3D CT scanners at Tweed New Haven Airport

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The first computed tomography, or CT, checkpoint scanner the Transportation Safety Administration is installing at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport April 19, 2023.

The remaining older X-ray scanner at Tweed New Haven Regional Airport April 19, 2023.

NEW HAVEN — Flying is about to get more convenient for travelers taking Avelo Airlines out of Tweed New Haven Regional Airport as the Transportation Security Administration installs two new, more advanced checkpoint scanners that will eliminate the need to remove electronics from carry-on bags.

Installation of the first computed tomography, or CT, scanner began Wednesday and will continue Thursday and for half the day Friday, said TSA New England Regional spokesman Daniel D. Velez, who was at Tweed Wednesday morning.

Once the first lane is modified and completes certification, it will open for screening. Then the second CT scanner will be installed next week, Velez said.

During the installation project, just one security screening lane will be operating at a time. Passengers are urged to arrive to the terminal at least two hours prior to their departure time, the TSA said in a release.

The CT scanners are similar in technology to CT scanners in medical facilities, but with "a little security twist" added, said Velez. They have cameras inside that spin around bags, taking 3D images rather than the two-dimensional images provided by older-techology X-ray scanners.

For passengers, it's going to mean "they're now going to be able to leave their electronics — their cellphones, their laptops — in the carry-on bags," Velez said. They'll also be able to leave liquids in their bags, he said.

Because the TSA officers "are able to see a 3D image of the contents of your bag, there's less searching of your bags," Velez said.

A TSA officer will be able to manipulate the image on-screen to allow for a better view of the bag's contents, reducing the number of physical bag checks that are required, according to the release.

The one thing the new technology won't do is eliminate the need for passengers to take off their shoes and run them through the scanners, he said.

Tweed New Haven Airport Authority Executive Director Tom Rafter said he was glad to see the new scanners go in.

"Flying through Tweed is about convenience," Rafter said. "We’re excited that adding state-of-the-art security equipment also happens to make it easier than ever to fly from HVN."

Similar advanced-technology scanners were installed at state-owned Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks and T.F. Green International Airport in Rhode Island last month, with additional scanners to be installed at each airport this summer, he said.

"Pretty much all the New England airports are getting them," Velez said. They were installed at the airports in Burlington, Vt., and Manchester, N.H., in October and September, respectively, he said.

The TSA officers at Tweed won't have to train on the new scanners because "all officers are already trained. They went up to Bradley to get trained," he said.

In recent months, the TSA has been scanning on average about 1,700 bags a day at Tweed, often exceeding 2,000 a day on weekends, Velez said.

During installation, Tweed is down to one scanning machine rather than the usual two, he said. As workers, including one on a hydraulic lift, installed one of the new scanners Wednesday, passengers went through security at the remaining X-ray scanner a few feet away.

Once the new CT scanner is up and running, two scanners will be in use over the weekend, with work to begin Monday to replace the remaining X-ray scanner with the second CT scanner, he said.

"We're constantly looking at technology and how it ... can help security and ... make it more convenient for passengers," he said.

"Use of CT technology at our security checkpoints is a win-win for TSA and HVN passengers," said William Csontos, TSA Federal Security Director for Connecticut, in the release. "TSA remains committed to enhancing security and improving the screening experience at all federalized airports across the country."

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