The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) has approved Rohde & Schwarz’s QPS Walk2000’s detection capability for use as an airport security scanner.

This makes it the world’s first walk-through mm-wave security scanner allowed for use at airports.

This certification means the scanner meets ECAC’s aviation security detection requirements for screening on-person threats. With this approval in hand, R&S is set to deploy these scanners throughout the European Union, enhancing passenger screening at airports across the region.

The approval was achieved after the firm passed the common evaluation process (CEP) employed test carried out by ECAC laboratories. The CEP is designed to evaluate security equipment against ECAC and EU performance standards, providing a common reference point for national administrations when certifying or approving security equipment at airports. When equipment meets these standards, as confirmed by the CEP, it becomes automatically eligible for EU approval and the EU Stamp marking.

People can now walk through the security scanner at a natural pace and with normal posture. The mm-wave technology penetrates clothing while an avatar pinpoints potentially dangerous objects in real time. If an alarm is triggered, security personnel can focus on the specific indicated area instead of having to completely pat-down or rescan the passenger.

The scanner (www.rohde-schwarz.com/uk/products/aerospace-defense-security/security-scanner/rs-qps-walk2000_63493-978496.html) is already in use at Frankfurt airport, marking it as the world’s first to employ walk-through scanners regularly for passenger security checks. Following this, R&S plans to run several trials at important airports across Europe.

“We appreciate the efforts of the ECAC and look forward to working with airports and air carriers of the 44 member states to deliver next-generation security capabilities and improve the passenger experience for travellers all over Europe,” said Andreas Haegele, vice president at Rohde & Schwarz.

Rohde & Schwarz (www.rohde-schwarz.com) is a privately owned, Munich based company. It generated net revenue of €2.93bn in 2023-24 and has around 14,400 employees worldwide.