Kromek given green light on airport scanners
Baku, October 26 (AZERTAC). Pioneering technology firm Kromek has been given the green light to sell scanners which can detect explosives to airports across Europe.
The County Durham firm has spent years developing devices which use X-rays to reveal whether a bottle of liquid in a traveller`s luggage is gin, mineral water or any one of a number of high explosives. It even checks barcodes to see whether the contents match the label.
The technology will not only help to prevent terrorists blowing up airlines but mean an end to passengers facing delays and having to ditch their drinks and shampoo before going through airport security gates.
And for Kromek, one of few companies in the world working on the technology, the approval by the EU to sell its Bottle Scanner machine is an important step towards winning contracts worth millions of pounds.
Chief executive Arnab Basu, said: “It`s a significant milestone for Kromek as the approved listing is vindication that colour X-ray detection has been proven.
The ban on liquids in hand luggage was imposed in August 2006 after police uncovered a plot to smuggle explosives on to planes using drinks containers.
According to EU plans, by April 2011 airports must have appropriate devices in place to scan liquids bought in transit. By April 2013, the ban on liquids on flights across Europe will be lifted.
The firm focuses on technology which is used to detect cancer, on industrial X-ray technology and recently won a £2.4m contract with the US government for equipment which detects emissions from nuclear material.
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