Walkthrough security scanners become reality at Frankfurt Airport

Frankfurt Airport (FRA) in Germany has become the first gateway in the world to regularly use walkthrough scanners for passenger security checks.

Following a roughly one-year test phase at Concourse A in Terminal 1, the German Federal Police have authorised the full-scale use of the Rohde & Schwarz QPS Walk2000 air travel security system.

It is claimed that the QPS Walk2000 provides significantly greater comfort and convenience at security checks, as instead of having to freeze in an awkward posture for scanning, travellers can simply walk through the scanner at a normal speed.

About 18,000 departing passengers commute through this checkpoint daily.

Going forward, the plan is to extend the use of this technology to additional security check lanes in Terminal 1 and also deploy it in the new Terminal 3.

“We’re the world’s first airport to set a new standard of passenger security with this 360° walkthrough scanner,” says Alexander Laukenmann, head of Fraport AG’s aviation division.

“During the test phase we worked closely with the German Federal Police to optimise its operation and pave the way for its certification.

“This is part of our ongoing efforts to improve the passenger experience by using the latest technologies to make checkpoints faster and easier to navigate while upholding our high standard of security. A special thank you goes to the whole project team.”

The millimeter-wave technology used in the QPS Walk2000 scanners also penetrates clothing while an avatar pinpoints potentially dangerous objects in real time.

If an alarm is triggered, security personnel can focus on the specific indicated area instead of having to completely rescan the passenger.

Since taking responsibility for the aviation security checks at Frankfurt Airport on January 1, 2023, Fraport notes that it has invested around €22 million on equipping the airport’s security checkpoints with new advanced CT technology and innovative lane designs.