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New X-Ray Devices at German Airports | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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A policeman stands guard at Dusseldorf’s international airport, Germany’s third busiest in terms of passengers. (AFP Photo/Patrik Stollarz)


Cologne (Germany)- The last X-ray cabins at German airports were put in place three years ago, but the German government has recently decided to replace them with new devices as part of its campaign themed “counter-terrorism technologies”.

Instead of the tight round cabins, which require several seconds to inspect the body, German authorities will deploy new devices that detect the body faster. These new devices are expected to reduce the time people usually wait to complete airport security inspection and to fill the gaps of the old cabins.

The new device is composed of two wide walls, colored blue-grey; the traveler should stand between them during the inspection. The German government allocated EUR100 million to purchase 300 QPS devices (for swift inspection), produced by Rohde & Schwarz company in coordination with the ministry of scientific research.

Christian Evers, a senior official from the company, said this new device does not trigger false alarms and shows accurate images. In cases of doubt, the device works in two versions, for male and female bodies.

Evers said there is growing demand on the device due to major terrorist threats. Countries like Japan, Brazil, Qatar have sought to purchase it, he noted.

The German government was interested in setting up new devices after it detected gaps in the old system of cabins.

Employees from the security department at Düsseldorf Airport said that sometimes they needed to force people to remove their shoes and examine them manually because the old cabins did not cover parts hidden in shoes.

This problem compelled the airport to increase the number of employees at the security department, which caused traveler queues and led to many complaints about procedures forcing them to remove their shoes.