Teesside Airport installs new body and baggage scanners

Credit: Teesside International Airport

State-of-the-art scanners have been installed at Teesside International Airport (MME) ahead of a major £1 million renovation of its security area.

A new body scanner and C3 X-ray baggage scanner will be used in the terminal; speeding up security and helping to process more passengers in a shorter space of time over the coming years – a significant benefit as the airport secures flights to new destinations and expands existing routes.

The body scanner will assist the metal detectors to reduce physical checks, while the baggage scanner – which will be installed in October 2020 – means that passengers will no longer have to remove liquids and electrical items from bags and pass them through separately.

The machines, which are fully compliant with Department for Transport (DfT) regulations, will also make onward connectivity from Teesside Airport to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR) even smoother by removing the requirement to go through their security processes.

Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen, said: “Our airport is going from strength to strength despite the unprecedented impact on the travel industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic. These improvements are just the latest in our efforts to make the airport as quick and easy to use as possible. We’re developing routes, we’re developing the wider site and we also need to keep developing the terminal to give local people and visitors from across the world the best possible experience.”

He continued: “Our 10-Year Rescue Plan sets out how we’re going to see 1.4 million passengers through our terminal doors per year, and these machines are needed for airports who process more than a million. As ever, we’re being ambitious, going further faster and planning for the future. I don’t even think other local airports, like Newcastle and Leeds Bradford, have some of this technology.

“Our redesigned, state-of-the-art security area will be a blessing for anyone who wants to fly worldwide from Teesside, giving seamless journeys to the hundreds of onward destinations from Schiphol and Heathrow. Whether you’re going on holiday or flying out for business, you can do so knowing that your trip will be hassle-free,” he added.

The trial of the new machinery comes just days after it was revealed that Teesside Airport’s arrivals hall was also undergoing renovation to make it easier to use and more attractive to passengers. The upgrade is part of ongoing works to improve customer experience at the airport alongside growing flights and attracting investment. It is expected that the security area will be fully redesigned, with further scanners installed, by April 2021.