New Pax Screening Technology

The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) will launch a pilot project at Kelowna International Airport to test whole body imaging technology on a voluntary basis. Also called millimeter wave, the new equipment will be integrated with existing screening capabilities at the Kelowna International Airport test site. “Our pilot project will enable us to see if the technology can accelerate the screening process by cutting down the number of physical searches,” said CATSA’s Kevin McGarr. Millimeter wave technology generates detailed images of the body without physical contact between the screening officer and the passenger. The technology works by projecting low-level radio frequency (RF) energy over and around the passenger's body producing a three-dimensional image of the passenger. The screening officer is not able to link the image to a particular passenger. A trained and certified screening officer examines the images from a separate room. The officer cannot see the passenger before, during or after the screening process. The images are deleted as soon as the review is complete. Images are not stored, printed or transmitted. The image is monitored by a screening officer in a separate room, with no view of the actual passenger. Following a trial period, CATSA will examine the data and present its recommendations to Transport Canada.