Aviation security screening approved equipment list
Aviation security screening equipment must meet UK and international performance standards before it can be deployed and used operationally.
How aviation security equipment is approved
Testing is undertaken in the UK and test centres within Europe that have been recognised by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC).
Equipment list
Our lists cover approved equipment for:
- people screening: security scanners (SSc), shoe explosive detection (SED), shoe metal detection (SMD) and explosive trace detection equipment (ETD)
- hold baggage screening (HBS): explosive detection systems (EDS) and ETD
- cabin baggage screening: explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB), liquid explosive detection systems (LEDS) and ETD
- cargo screening: ETD, cargo and mail metal detection (CMMD), EDS, remote explosive scent tracing (REST) and free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD)
- consumables: approved consumables for ETD
- threat image projection (TIP) libraries: the library of images controlled and defined by the department
For further information email the DfT Research, Analysis and Development team.
A number of equipment types do not require specific Department for Transport approval before use, these include:
- conventional X-ray equipment
- cargo X-ray screening equipment
- hand-held metal detectors (HHMD)
- walk-through metal detectors (WTMD)
Baggage and cargo explosive screening
Trace explosive detection screening
Canine search capability
Liquid explosive detection
People screening
Cargo and mail metal detection
Equipment exempt from our approval
Last updated 10 April 2024 + show all updates
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Updates added to explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB).
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Updates added to explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB), explosive detection systems (EDS) and liquid explosive detection systems (LEDS) for aviation security.
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Updates to equipment approvals documents.
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Updates to: - Explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB) - Security scanners (SSc) for aviation security
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Updates to the following pages: - Explosive detection systems (EDS) for aviation security - Explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB) - Free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD) for aviation security - Security scanners (SSc) for aviation security - Threat image projection (TIP) library software
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Updates to Free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD) for aviation security page.
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Updates to the following pages: - Aviation security screening equipment exempt from DfT approval - Security scanners (SSc) for aviation security - Screening liquids less than 100ml: equipment - Free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD) for aviation security - Explosive trace detection (ETD) systems for aviation security - Explosive detection systems (EDS) for aviation security - Explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB)
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Updated equipment approvals documents.
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Updated explosive detection systems (EDS) for aviation security; screening liquids less than 100ml: equipment; explosive trace detection (ETD) systems for aviation security; and free running explosive detection dogs for aviation security.
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Updated explosive detection systems (EDS) for aviation security; screening liquids less than 100ml: equipment; explosive trace detection (ETD) systems for aviation security; and free running explosive detection dogs for aviation security.
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Updates to 'Explosive detection systems for aviation security', 'Explosive detection systems for cabin baggage', 'Liquid explosive detection systems for aviation security', 'Screening liquids less than 100ml: equipment', 'Security scanners for aviation security', 'Explosive trace detection systems for aviation security' and 'Free running explosive detection dogs for aviation security'.
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Updates to 'Free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD) for aviation security'.
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Updates to 'Threat image projection (TIP) library software'.
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Updated Free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD) for aviation security.
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Updates to screening liquids less than 100ml, free running explosive detection dogs for aviation security and threat image projection (TIP) library software.
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Updates to the equipment lists for approved explosive detection systems for aviation security and cabin baggage, liquid explosive detection systems for aviation security, approved security scanners, aviation explosive trace detection systems, and free-running explosive detection dogs.
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There have been updates to 'Explosive detection systems (EDS) for aviation security', 'Free running explosive detection dogs (FREDD) for aviation security', 'Liquid explosive detection systems (LEDS) for aviation security' and 'Explosive detection systems for cabin baggage (EDSCB)',
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Addition of shoe explosive detection and shoe metal detection systems.
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Addition of explosive detection systems for cabin baggage plus removal of the threat image projection management software listing, the advanced cabin baggage for x-ray systems listing and the advanced cabin baggage x-ray liquid explosive systems listing.
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Updates to the equipment lists for approved explosive detection, liquid explosive detection, security scanners, explosive trace detection and small volume liquid explosive detection.
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Updates to 6 approved aviation security equipment lists and a new approved free running explosive detection dogs list published.
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New Threat image projection library software page added to collection page.
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List of approved aviation security screening equipment updated.
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New security screening equipment for security scanners (SSc) and liquid explosives detection systems (LEDS).
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Lists updated with security screening equipment approved in February 2016.
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Approved equipment list updated.
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Approved equipment list updated.
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First published.