Smiths Detection discusses the growing pressures facing airport security. Their integrated approach blends AI and hardware to streamline operations, support faster decisions and improve both security and passenger experience.

What are some of the main challenges facing airport security at the moment?

Airports carry a clear responsibility to the public: To keep passengers safe and to make the journey as seamless as possible.

Delivering that promise is demanding. Passenger numbers continue to rise, bags are fuller and more complex and teams are asked to make decisions at speed while keeping false alarms down.

With stretched staffing and differing levels of experience, managers also need to lighten cognitive load and make good practice consistent across shifts.

As a technology manufacturer our role is to engineer cutting edge solutions that blend digital capability with world class hardware to help deliver the airport’s security strategy.

That means turning complex risks into clear decisions, integrating seamlessly with existing infrastructure which gives managers reliable visibility of what is happening at any moment.

Risk takes many forms, from lithium batteries that can start fires to narcotics and bulk cash that could sustain organised crime.

Airports need systems that see these risks precisely and at speed while keeping the lane moving.

In many checkpoints the tools for images, alarms, maintenance and training still sit apart, which denies managers a single view and slows the response when conditions change.

We engineer digital capabilities and hardware that bring these parts together into a connected workflow.  

This ensures consistent, repeatable decision-making, minimises unnecessary searches and gives managers clear oversight of the checkpoint.

Why is the automation of security processes essential in the context of airport security?

Automation in airport security should feel like support – supercharging the screening team to perform with pace – precision and confidence.

Our proprietary iCMORE solutions suite delivers AI-driven detection capabilities.

It includes the iCMORE Prohibited Items application recognised in aviation as APIDS.

Leveraging the power of machine learning, APIDS flags potential risk items, so they surface quickly and are easier to review.

This better directs expert attention, minimises repeat handling and ensures the lane stays on the decisions that matter.

It helps improve consistency at speed and could improve TIP scores.

Managers gain clearer visibility of workload, plan resources more accurately and improving OPEX without compromising security.

How can the implementation of AI in security systems support airport security teams?

AI supports teams by making potential threats easier to see and quicker to judge within the normal review process.

Our iCMORE applications provide automatic detection trained on operational data and used in live environments, so alerts are specific, timely and grounded in what screeners face every day.

Operators get clearer prompts, spend less time searching for threat items inside complex images and can make confident decisions at pace.

How do automated AI systems in airport security also help to improve the traveller experience?

Automated AI systems can make security quicker, calmer and more predictable without compromising safety.

When our X-ray systems are equipped with iCMORE APIDS, screeners can make confident calls sooners, keeping queues moving and under control.

Beyond the lane, our digital application Unaccompanied Baggage Inspection (UBI) identifies when a passenger has checked in a bag but has not boarded.

It then automatically unloads the bag through a controlled process, which helps avoid late offloads, cuts idling on stand, reduces emissions and prevents delays for other passengers.

Additionally, our software ‘Image to Destination’ (I2D), securely sends CT or X-ray images and bag data to the destination during flight so parts of arrival screening can begin earlier.

Both applications ease pinch points and keep the terminal experience positive.

Put simply, powerful detection hardware working with intelligent software creates a full solution that keeps passengers safe and makes the journey feel seamless and uninterrupted.

How will airport security evolve even further in the near future?

Security will become more connected and adaptable.

Responsible Open Architecture will play a practical role by giving airports the flexibility to choose and combine capabilities that fit their unique checkpoints.

We champion this through a securely governed integration approach with formal testing of selected third-party algorithms on our hardware while we continue to invest in our proprietary iCMORE portfolio.

Another aspect to consider is that operations are moving toward more connected control.

In some airports and where policy and infrastructure allow, remote screening enables central image review hubs to support multiple sites and bring cabin and hold baggage together under one view.

Managers gain a centralised picture of systems, queues and alarms and can act quickly when conditions change. Clearance is also moving earlier in the journey through tools like UBI and I2D, easing pressure at arrival.

The direction of travel is a resilient operation that adapts quickly, backed by technology that is explainable, trusted and easy to manage.

How does Smiths Detection help airports to become more secure and efficient?

We measure ourselves by outcomes that matter to leadership teams and front-line staff alike. Stronger detection. Steady throughput. Simpler day to day work.

ELECTORA is central to how we deliver that. It is our digital platform that unifies detection, image review, analytics, system health and user management in one connected environment.

ELECTORA reduces fragmentation and gives managers a single view of performance.

It routes images intelligently, supports role-based access and audit and can be deployed on site or virtually.

That speeds response times, streamlines routine tasks and helps leaders evidence performance with reliable data.

Remote screening extends operational capacity. Image review can take place away from the lane, which allows managers to balance workload across teams and time zones, bring specialists in when needed and keep the lane moving during peaks or disruption.

It supports consistent decision making, improves use of staff time and lets leaders match resources to demand through the day.

The impact is tangible. Airports can open capacity without adding lanes, reduce operating costs through smarter staffing and cut the time bags spend at the checkpoint.

At the same time, they raise confidence in detection which is the foundation of a safe and welcoming airport.

That is the standard we set for ourselves as a partner.

Clarity, resilience and respect

We believe security should be felt as quiet certainty.

It should help families start a holiday with ease, supercharge screening teams to operate at full capacity and help leadership rest easy knowing the system is doing its job.

That is why we design for clarity, resilience and respect for the people who use our tools.

This article was originally published in the September edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.