American Airlines, in coordination with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Miami-Dade Aviation Department, has launched two automated security screening lanes in Terminal D at Miami International Airport (MIA) in Florida.
The new automated screening lanes incorporate technology and screening station modifications that enhance security effectiveness while decreasing the time travelers spend in security screening.
The lanes help to expedite the screening of travelers by automating many of the functions currently conducted manually. This includes automated belts that draw bags into the x-ray machines before returning the trays; having a separate run off area for bags of interest; having trays that are 25% larger than current trays; introducing RFID tags that are attached to each tray for tracking purposes; and having cameras that capture photos of the outside of the bag, which is then linked to the x-ray image of the bag’s contents.
Ralph Lopez, vice president (Miami), American Airlines, said, “We are proud to be working collaboratively with the TSA and Miami-Dade Aviation Department to launch next-generation screening technology in Miami Airport. These state-of-the-art lanes enhance security effectiveness and efficiency and will improve the customer experience for many of the 29 million customers who visit the airport each year.
Emilio T González, Miami-Dade aviation director, said, “We are proud to partner with American Airlines and the TSA on this latest innovation to improve the passenger experience at MIA. We are exploring any and every way that we can safely expedite travelers through security screening and further decrease wait times. The new automated screening lanes do exactly that.”
American Airlines has also recently launched automated screening lanes at airports in Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Angeles and New York City.
Additionally, American is investing in state-of-the-art computed tomography (CT) checkpoint technology, which is expected to provide an enhanced level of detection for aviation security officials. This technology provides officials with scanning equipment that more clearly identifies potential threat items, including those concealed within personal electronic devices.