It cost a whopping £1 billion - €1.16 billion - but it was well worth it. Especially for business travellers who frequently use Heathrow airport for their business trips. The London hub has just completed its technological transformation with the deployment of new-generation CT security scanners in all terminals.
The result, as Heathrow CEO Thomas Woldbye quite rightly welcomes: " All Heathrow passengers can now leave liquids and laptops in their bags at security as we become the largest airport in the world to deploy the latest security scanner technology. ". And Thomas Woldbye adds: " That means less time preparing for security and more time enjoying their journey - and millions less single-use plastic bags. This £1 billion investment means our customers can be confident that they will continue to have a great experience at Heathrow. ". The airport management estimates that this approach will save almost 16 million plastic bags a year, which will no longer be needed.
The modernisation of security checks comes at a time when the London airport is paying increasing attention to punctuality and the fluidity of the passenger journey. Last year, Heathrow was already crowned "Europe's most punctual hub", with over 97% of passengers waiting less than five minutes at security checkpoints. A figure that the new scanners should further improve.
