The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has rolled out a major upgrade at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport in Alabama. The agency has introduced Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) passenger screeners. It is designed to make security faster, smoother, and more convenient.
The new scanners use millimeter wave, high‑resolution technology to detect both metallic and non-metallic threats, including weapons and explosives. Unlike older systems, AIT involves no physical contact, which TSA says will improve the passenger experience while strengthening security.
This development follows a recent policy change that caught the attention of travelers nationwide. After years of requiring passengers to remove their shoes during screening, the TSA recently reversed the rule. The update came as a part of the agency’s broader effort to modernize checkpoints and reduce stress for fliers.
According to the TSA’s website, “the AIT uses automated target recognition software that eliminates passenger-specific images and instead auto-detects potential threats by indicating their location on a generic cookie-cutter outline of a person.” One of the key benefits of this approach is that it ensures both privacy and efficiency, with no personal imaging data stored or analyzed.
Airports across the United States have already started adopting the advanced system. Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport revealed its own AIT setup earlier this month as part of a new terminal opening.
Jamie K. Hicks, TSA’s Federal Security Director for Wyoming, highlighted the importance of the upgrade. “The use of AIT and CT at the new terminal’s checkpoint is an enhancement of TSA’s ongoing efforts to improve the passenger experience while improving security operations,” Hicks said.
He further noted the partnership between TSA and airport officials in designing the site: “We have worked closely with the airport on the design of the security checkpoint to ensure it provides an ideal environment for TSA officers to carry out their important role in airport operations, and AIT and CT technology will make a positive impact in our checkpoint.”
Other airports are expanding beyond AIT by incorporating computed tomography (CT) screening. Raleigh County Memorial Airport in West Virginia has introduced CT machines that allow officers to view a three-dimensional scan of the items packed inside carry-on bags. This offers a clearer perspective compared to traditional x-rays and may cut down on bag checks and delays.
In Syracuse, New York, Hancock International Airport notes on its official website that AIT is especially helpful for travelers with medical implants. Joint replacements or similar devices often trigger walk-through metal detectors, leading to secondary screenings. With AIT, those passengers usually pass without alarms, saving time and reducing discomfort.
The Department of Homeland Security has emphasized that while the technology represents a leap forward, nationwide implementation will not be immediate. In a January statement, DHS officials said it could take several years before every airport installs the AIT systems.
For now, passengers in Alabama and Wyoming will be among the first to benefit from these security enhancements. More airports are expected to follow soon.
