Passengers travelling through London Gatwick no longer need to remove electrical items or place liquids in plastic bags, as part of a multi-million-pound project to transform its security screening process. SussexWorld's Mark Dunford went through the process to experience it first hand and spoke to head of security Cyrus Dana.
00:00Hi I'm Mark Dunford from Sussex World and I'm here today at London Gatwick
00:05Airport. They've got new cutting-edge technology which enhances the security
00:09accuracy for airport security staff with 3D technology. I'm going to go through
00:14the process, I'm going to talk to head of security Cyrus Danner and we're going to
00:17find out what it's all about, why it's so good for passengers and what it's
00:21actually like to go through the screening process. My name is Cyrus I'm
00:28the head of security here at London Gatwick Airport. Yeah and I'm here
00:30today I'm going to go through the new next-gen security scanning process. Can
00:35you just talk us through about that scanning process and what the main
00:38changes are for passengers? Yeah so the main changes really ultimately are
00:41passengers travelling through the airport now coming through security is able to
00:45leave all of their liquids and electrical items in their bag where historically
00:50they would have needed to take those items out and put all of those liquids
00:54into clear plastic bags. The passenger experience is going to be much
00:57more seamless so you know historically before they'd have to take all these
01:00items out now laptops iPads liquids that they have they leave it all in their
01:06bag the new technology will do the work and they'll process through in a much
01:10more seamless and quicker way. The main purpose of introducing the new
01:14technology is you know the cutting-edge technology actually makes the
01:17security aspect much more safer we're able to zoom in much further into the
01:22actual items itself but for the colleagues itself it gives them higher
01:26advanced ability with the C3 technology and so it doesn't actually create any
01:30more further work for them actually enhances their actual ability to do their
01:34role.
01:36What has the feedback been like from the passengers so far?
01:43There's been no negativity mark it's been very positive you know we are obviously sharing to passengers that you can keep all your items in their bag there's that natural kind of like questioning around are you sure but ultimately those items can stay in the bag and at the end of their experience they're pleasantly surprised.
02:00Yeah and can it be improved any further are you still looking at ways of improving the process or is this the final sort of destination?
02:08Yeah well listen you can't say never ultimately we will always look to want to improve our service we are the world class leading airport for service you know if I take the first three months of this quarter 98% of our passengers has processed through security in either five minutes or less so it's a pretty quick seamless experience now we will always want to keep improving
02:29but you know we pride ourselves on the 98% of people processing through in the first three months of this financial year within five minutes or less.
02:46I've just been through the new next gen the security scanning process at London Gatwick Airport I've been through the north terminal where there's ten scanning aisles in the south terminal there's nine.
02:56London Gatwick is the first airport in the UK to have all their aisles with this next gen enhanced 3D technology making it easier for security staff to process passengers coming through.
03:08It was very easy I was in through the whole process in about two or three minutes I put my bag through I still had to take my bag off still had to take everything out of my pockets but not taking anything out of the bag was a huge help.
03:22I didn't have to take my shoes off either there is a percentage of people that do where they will have to take their shoes off so I was lucky that I didn't have to do that but going through a security process when you go on holiday is always probably the most stressful part of the holiday maybe if you don't like flying obviously.
03:40But it was a really really good experience and the whole atmosphere in that area in the security processing area was it seemed so much better.
03:52You haven't got those horrible brown cubicles where you just have to take your tray put your belt back on and everything.
03:58So it was really interesting to go through it and I spoke to some passengers as well afterwards to see what they thought of the process.
04:05My name's Lauren and I'm here with my friends to go on a 40th birthday trip to Portugal.
04:11Oh very nice sounds great and you've just been through the security screening process it's a new advanced enhanced it's supposed to be all quicker now how did you find the experience?
04:19We were through within about two minutes so it was amazing.
04:23And that's the first time you've been through it like that?
04:25First time we've been through it and we're all mums as well so we normally have kids and everything so it was going to be quicker anyway but it was really quick.
04:31Did you know about that it was going to be as quick as that when you came in?
04:34No I didn't realise it would be that quick but I knew that we wouldn't have to take our liquids out and stuff I'd heard about it but yeah it was great.
04:42Yeah so when you'd come before how long did it sort of take roughly do you think so?
04:46Up to half an hour maybe longer sometimes but yeah and definitely not that quick.
04:51It would be like a minute or two it was so quick like clear to usual.
04:54You don't have to get all the stuff out of your bag because it was so much quicker and so much easier.
04:59You literally just glide right through like it's so much easier it's more organised so you know exactly what you're doing and you're just sent straight through to one thing so it just gets you out quicker.
05:08I'm Tammy I'm from the Isle of Wight and we are we're both off to Toronto.
05:13Okay.
05:14And I'm Will I'm from Southampton.
05:15So we're going to work at a summer camp in two hours north of Toronto at a place called Mistokie.
05:20Okay sounds exciting.
05:22And we're here today talking about the new security scanning process as you come through.
05:26How long did it take you to get through the scanning process today?
05:29About three minutes or so.
05:30Yeah it was much quicker than normal.
05:31Yeah very quick.
05:32No queues straight in didn't have to unpack anything it was great.
05:36My name is Tracy Parsons.
05:38I live in London and I'm going to Kefalonia.
05:41Oh lovely.
05:42Is that just a summer break?
05:43Yes it is.
05:44Excellent.
05:45And we're here today talking about the new scanning procedure at London Gatwick Airport.
05:49How did you find it today?
05:50Brilliant.
05:51Yeah.
05:52What made it so good?
05:53Well from when we checked in I like the fact that you did it all on your phone.
05:58We printed out our boarding classes at home in case we couldn't get signal but the signal
06:03was fine.
06:04We checked in.
06:05We got our receipt for our luggage which I thought was good.
06:09We went through the security.
06:10It was the best it's ever been.
06:12Right.
06:13Quickest.
06:14I like the fact that you didn't have to put it all in different boxes.
06:18You just put your bag on.
06:20Brilliant.
06:21You've had time to have a nice breakfast.
06:23Yeah I'm David Ewan and I'm going to climb up to Aberdeen from London Gatwick.
06:28I work offshore so I travel regularly.
06:31Yeah I found it really good.
06:33Better than what has been in the past.
06:35Went through no problem.
06:37Took me about five minutes to get through.
06:39Kieran Simpson, a local Surrey resident.
06:43We're on our way of holidays to...
06:45Where are we going Tom?
06:46Menorca.
06:47Yorkshire.
06:48No that's where mum lives.
06:49Menorca.
06:50Menorca yeah.
06:51You don't sound local.
06:52No I was 17 years ago.
06:53Yeah yeah yeah.
06:54Excellent.
06:55And we're here today talking about the new security scanning process at Gareth.
06:58How did you find the experience?
07:00Actually really really great.
07:01We go through the family aisle so it's pretty straight forward.
07:05Frequent travellers know what's going on.
07:06It's great without the laptops out anymore.
07:08Yeah.
07:09Bottle slow.
07:10Really good.
07:11Really fast.
07:12They're really good.
07:13They know how to deal with kids.
07:14It's a good set up.
07:15It's a great setup.
07:16I was going to say travelling with young children can be quite stressful.
07:18Yeah.
07:19So we're making that process much quicker and easier.
07:21Yeah.
07:22Absolutely.
07:23Absolutely.
07:24Yeah yeah yeah.
07:25So it's just getting things right.
07:26No no it's been a really good setup.
07:27So overall everyone seems to absolutely love it.
07:28I mean it could used to take about 30-45 minutes to go through that process.
07:33But now with this multi-million pound state of the art technology it's so much easier.
07:38I mean the only thing my trade did actually get pulled aside and it's because they couldn't
07:44tell me why they did that.
07:46But they scanned my wallet and it could be something as simple as the algorithm picked
07:50up a chemical that was in the lever.
07:52So it's hugely, hugely advanced technology that is sensing any danger.
07:58So it's so much quicker.
08:00There's a full body scan thing that you have to go through.
08:05That was just, you just stood there and literally in a second and they could tell straight away.
08:09So got waved straight through that.
08:11So it was just a really good experience and given that we're coming into holiday season
08:16now it's been really busy here at Gatwick today.
08:19But people are going through, they process up to 5,000 passengers an hour going through
08:24those new advanced scanning process.
08:27So it's really, really impressive.
08:29Gatwick, like I said, is the only airport in the UK that has got all their aisles with it now.
08:35Other areas have got different deadlines to meet.
08:38Gatwick met their deadline.
08:39So yeah, let us know what you think.
08:42Have you been through the process?
08:43Have you bumped into any troubles?
08:44Or have you just found it amazing and a stress-free experience?
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