When we think about airport security, we imagine chaos: you walk through the machine and — BEEP — you forgot some keys in your pocket. You walk again — BEEP — maybe it’s your hair tie!? BEEP — some stranger is patting you down.
It’s stressful, you’re sweating, and a lovely long queue of people is forming behind you.
However, if there’s one thing Schiphol Airport doesn’t like, it’s queues. Especially given all the drama over the past few years.
With the May holidays quickly approaching, the airport is bracing itself for a wave of up to 80,000 travellers per day, according to Nu.nl.
While it does warn of longer waiting times at check-in desks and security, it doesn’t expect the same scenes as in previous years.
This is thanks to new equipment at security which should make the process of passing through much simpler.
Simpler? But how?
According to AD, Schiphol has brand new scanners at all of its security gates — 53 in total.
With these scanners, you no longer have to adopt an awkward stance like you’re imitating one of your Sims characters in order for the machine to scan you.
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Instead, all you do is, well, stand there.
“You can just keep your hands and arms next to your body. That’s a lot easier,” airport operations director Patricia Vitalis tells AD.
According to Vitalis, the new scanners can scan a person’s body for dangerous items within three seconds and are less prone to errors.
What this means for you as a traveller is this:
Fewer people will have to be stopped and checked, fewer people will have to carry out a Vogue photo shoot while trying to pass through the machines, and ultimately, queues will be less long.
But does it actually work?
You may be thinking, hmmm, but is this perhaps too simple? Will the machines actually pick up on danger?
Schiphol already had this thought themselves, so they sent in two men to try pass through the machines with dangerous items.
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Schiphol’s coordinator at the Royal Military Police, Colonel Jeffrey van Horn, attempted to pass through the machine with a knife in his sock, while his colleague wore a fake explosive.
Both men were immediately picked up by the machines, and the unknowing staff did everything by the books.
Through with queues
Great, so the machines work — but do they actually help with the queues?
According to Vitalis, yes! “We are already seeing that passengers are going through security significantly faster,” she tells AD.
Say no more, if it means we get to our holiday destination faster and safer, we’re happy. 🏝️
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