Security at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport will get an upgrade soon with the announcement that Smiths Detection will supply 14 advanced people screeners – which use millimetre-wave technology – to check passengers for concealed weapons and explosives.

The eqo portal systems, which use Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) software, will be operated for the secondary screening of departing passengers who may have raised alarms during initial checks.

The new eqos scanners are slated to be operational by June 2015.

“eqo is the most advanced scanner of its type in the world and was the first on the market to achieve the top performance standard from the EU/ECAC regulatory approval process.” said Smiths Detection’s regional vice president Asia Pacific, Nathan Manzi. “Easily integrated into existing checkpoint layouts, eqo will provide Ninoy Aquino Airport a versatile means of enhancing security in airport screening.”

eqo, which bounces harmless millimetre-waves off the body and then analyses the reflected data, uses a generic outline graphic to highlight any suspicious items detected. Unlike currently deployed scanners, eqo can distinguish between both metallic and non-metallic objects. Its real-time analysis and presentation of results help speed up the screening process. www.miaa.gov.ph