As part of measures implemented by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the spring, some airlines with flights to the U.S. from international airports are acquiring Smiths Detection explosive trace detection systems to screen passengers at the gate prior to boarding their flight, the company says. The two systems being acquired are the IONSCAN 500DT desktop system and the handheld Multi-Mode Threat Detector (MMTD) for screening hand luggage for traces of explosives. The company says the U.S. air carriers purchasing the equipment do not want to be named. Mark Laustra, the company’s vice president of Homeland Security, says several systems have been deployed into Africa and the Middle East. The battery-operated MMTD device gives carriers the flexibility to easily move the system from gate-to-gate as needed, Mark Laustra says. TSA issued the security directive in the spring in response to the failed Christmas Day “underwear bomber” bombing attempt last year on a flight from Europe into the U.S. The directive allows for random security measures throughout the passenger check-in and boarding process for U.S.-bound flights. Laustra says the new layer of security expands the market footprint for Smiths Detection’s products.
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