New scanners that can scan bottled liquid to be installed in airports soon

MANILA, Philippines – High-tech scanners will be used starting this month in the country’s major airports to screen bottled liquids brought by passengers on flights.

Sealed bottles carried by flyers, according to the Office for Transportation Security (OTS), will only have to be placed under the electromagnetic analyzer (EMA-3) or bottled liquid scanner to ensure that they are harmless and can be allowed on the airplanes.

The new security screening equipment worth P19.2 million were procured by the OTS, an attached agency of the Department of Transportation and Communications, from the Defense and Protection Systems Phils Inc.

According to OTS public information officer Jonathan Maliwat, the eight newly acquired bottled liquid scanners will be initially distributed among the screening checkpoints at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals. They will then be used in the Davao, Clark and Cebu international airports.

“The priority (for use) is at the NAIA. But these EMAs are light weight so they are easy to transport from one airport to another,” Maliwat said.

The OTS public information officer explained that the EMAs were designed to check and screen sealed bottles carried by airline passengers through security checkpoints to verify if the liquid they contain meet the requirements for items allowed inside the aircraft.

“The content of the bottle having a volume capacity from 100ml to 2000ml is analyzed without the need to open the container as the detection of dangerous substances is effected using non-ionizing electromagnetic fields,” he pointed out.

As for open containers, including cups and thermos, they are screened through an optional external probe using small disposable plastic cups.

EMA can analyze an assortment of bottles such as clear, colored, plastic, or glass, which are permeable to its sensors.

Based on regulations issued by the Manila International Airport Authority, passengers are allowed to place liquids, aerosols, and gels in 100ml containers or less in their hand-carried baggage as long as they are placed in transparent resealable or ziplock plastic bags.

Bottles larger than 100ml need to be placed in the passenger’s checked-in luggage or left behind. Beverages, shampoos, suntan lotions, creams, toothpastes, or hair gels of any size bought by passengers at the Duty Free and other stores after the final screening checkpoint will be allowed on flights.

Bottles of medication, including supplements, infant formula and baby food are subject to more verification at the security checkpoint.