As Chairman of Persatuan Aeroangkasa Myaerosatu, I have always experienced airport security in the post-9/11 world has been a major hassle point for airline passengers for 25 years. According to frequent travelers, security checkpoints at all the airports have often been cited as the most unpleasant part of their air travel journey both for domestic and international travels, marked by long lines, invasive searches, removing items from carry-on bags, taking off belts, shoes, and jackets, and fumbling with identification documents. I know airport security involves checking people and bags using scanners to stop dangerous items from entering planes. Key roles include the 100ml liquid limit, removing large electronics, and showing passport or ID and boarding pass.
I understand for 15 years, International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been touting “check-point of the future” in which biometrics and advanced screening technology would transform security from a tedious frustration to a smooth, largely stress-free experience. Changes to security have come in fits and starts, with trusted traveler programs introduced during the previous decade and slow rollouts in some regions of new screening equipment to replace older technology. But the basic concept of the checkpoint has mostly remained unchanged at airports around the world. (https://www.iata.org)
I noticed recently two key developments - the growing use of biometric facial recognition technology and the widening installation of advanced computed tomography (CT) carry-on baggage scanners - may be ushering in the long-promised new era of airport security. I think passengers are finally seeing the shift people have been waiting for. Now they're starting to replace with a process that is faster, simpler & more intuitive, giving passengers back their time.
Two early 2026 airport security initiatives are being eagerly observed by the global aviation industry as potential templates for facilitating a must faster checkpoint process. In the US, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is implementing Pre-check Touchless ID, a biometric facial recognition program, across 65 airports. In the UK, London Heathrow (LHR) became the largest airport in the world to roll out CT scanners across all its terminals. (https://www.tsa.gov)
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