Ruđer Bošković Airport has begun introducing a new generation of equipment for screening passengers and cabin baggage. The C3 EDS CB system produces three-dimensional images of baggage contents, automatically detects potential threats and allows passengers to leave liquids, laptops, tablets, mobile phones and other electronic devices inside their bags during screening.

According to the airport, Dubrovnik is currently the only airport in Croatia using this technology. A review of the passenger instructions published by other Croatian airports supports this claim. In Zagreb, for example, passengers must still remove liquids, laptops and other electronic devices from their cabin baggage.

The Dubrovnik investment comprises six cabin baggage screening units and six passenger security scanners. The first baggage scanner has already entered service, while the remaining five are scheduled to be installed by early December. Once the installation is completed, the airport’s entire passenger and cabin baggage screening area will be equipped with the new generation of devices.

C3 EDS CB currently represents the most advanced generation of widely available cabin baggage screening systems. EDS CB stands for Explosive Detection System for Cabin Baggage, while the C3 designation defines the system’s level of capability. Under the European Civil Aviation Conference classification, C1 systems require liquids and electronic devices to be removed, C2 systems allow electronic devices to remain inside baggage, while C3 systems can screen baggage containing both larger electronic devices and liquids.

Although a higher C4 standard also exists, the procedure from a passenger’s perspective is the same as with C3 equipment. In other words, C3 already provides passengers with all the practical benefits of the latest generation of security screening: cabin baggage no longer needs to be unpacked before being placed in a tray.

Unlike conventional X-ray machines, which create two-dimensional images of a bag’s contents, the new systems operate on the principle of computed tomography. Baggage is scanned from numerous angles, after which a computer assembles a detailed three-dimensional image. Operators can digitally rotate the image, zoom in on individual items and examine the inside of the bag layer by layer, while algorithms automatically flag materials and shapes that could represent a threat.

This improves the detection of explosives, weapons and other prohibited items while reducing the number of bags that need to be opened and inspected manually. As passengers no longer need to remove and repack numerous items, fewer trays are required, delays at the equipment are reduced and the overall flow through the security checkpoint is improved.

The modernisation also includes six new passenger security scanners. Screening takes several seconds, and if the system detects a suspicious item, security personnel are shown only its approximate location on a generic outline of the human body. Operators therefore do not see a detailed image of the passenger’s body, but only the area requiring additional inspection. This reduces the need for general physical searches, although security personnel may still carry out a targeted check when necessary.

“By introducing this technology, we aim to further enhance the security of air transport while improving the quality of service and the overall passenger experience. The new equipment provides better baggage screening and simplifies the process for passengers, as they will no longer need to remove liquids and electronic devices from their cabin baggage,” said airport director Viktor Šober.

According to public procurement documentation, the estimated value of the entire passenger and cabin baggage screening equipment project was €6.37 million excluding VAT. In addition to the devices themselves, the procurement included automated lanes, installation, commissioning, testing, staff training and a three-year warranty.

It is important, however, to distinguish between allowing liquids to remain inside a bag and removing restrictions on their quantity. Dubrovnik Airport’s latest announcement states that liquids no longer need to be removed from cabin baggage, but it does not explicitly say that containers larger than 100 millilitres are permitted. The airport’s currently published passenger instructions still specify a limit of 100 millilitres per container, with all liquids placed in a single transparent bag with a maximum capacity of one litre.

C3 technology can technically support the screening of containers holding larger quantities of liquid, but the implementation of such rules depends on the specific equipment configuration, its regulatory approval and the decision of the relevant authorities. Until a new official announcement is issued, passengers should therefore not assume that Dubrovnik Airport has abolished the 100-millilitre limit. For now, the change means that permitted liquids no longer need to be removed from cabin baggage.

By introducing the new system, Ruđer Bošković Airport joins some of the most technologically advanced airports in Europe and worldwide. At the same time, it takes the lead in Croatia as the country’s first airport to move its entire passenger and cabin baggage screening process to the new generation of C3 equipment.