YEG’s New Security Scanners Promise Faster, Easier Screening

Edmonton International Airport (YEG) is rolling out new computed tomography (CT) security scanners that will let most travellers leave liquids and large electronics inside their carry-on bags during screening, promising faster, less stressful checkpoints without compromising safety. The technology is being introduced in stages across YEG’s six domestic screening lanes, with full conversion targeted for early 2026 and plans to expand to U.S. departures as well.​

What Is Changing At YEG

YEG is replacing its traditional 2D X-ray machines with CT X-ray scanners that generate detailed 3D images of carry-on bags. On lines equipped with this technology, passengers will no longer be asked to remove permitted liquids, aerosols and gels under 100 millilitres or large electronics such as laptops and tablets from their bags.

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The first CT unit at YEG was slated for installation at the central security checkpoint by the end of November 2025, with all six domestic departure lanes expected to transition by around March 2026. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA), which runs pre-board screening in Canada, is coordinating this upgrade at YEG as part of a broader multi‑year rollout of CT systems at major airports across the country.​

How CT Scanners Work

Unlike conventional X-ray systems, which provide a flat, two‑dimensional image, CT scanners create a rotatable 3D model of the contents of each carry‑on bag. Screening officers can zoom, rotate and “slice” through this image to examine suspicious areas more precisely, enhancing their ability to spot explosives or other prohibited items that might be difficult to see on older machines.

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This additional detail gives officers more confidence in what they are seeing, reducing the need to pull bags aside, open them and physically search through belongings. CT technology used for security screening is closely related to medical CT imaging, but has been tested and certified to meet Health Canada standards for radiation‑emitting devices and electrical safety.​

What Passengers Can Keep In Their Bags

For passengers, the most noticeable change is that items which used to be pulled out at every checkpoint can now usually stay packed. On CT‑equipped lines at YEG and other participating Canadian airports, permitted items that can remain in carry‑on baggage include:​

• • Liquids, aerosols and gels in containers of 100 millilitres or less each

  • Laptops and other large electronics such as tablets, game consoles and cameras

  • Many medical devices that previously had to be removed for separate screening

Travellers will also be able to leave small containers of liquids inside their bags rather than repacking everything into a separate clear plastic pouch, provided each container still meets the 100‑millilitre limit. Signage at YEG’s security entrance will indicate which lines have CT scanners; if a lane does not yet have CT, passengers must still remove liquids and electronics in the traditional way.​

What Still Cannot Go Through

The new scanners do not change the fundamental rules about what passengers can bring onto an aircraft in their cabin baggage. The 100‑millilitre cap on liquids, aerosols and gels remains in force, and larger containers of liquids must still go into checked luggage or be discarded before screening.​

YEG is reminding travellers that certain items remain off‑limits in carry‑on bags regardless of the scanner in use. Examples include:​

• • Liquids over 100 millilitres (including beverages, large toiletry bottles and many food products)

  • Snow globes and other liquid‑filled ornaments

  • Large knives, scissors and other sharp objects

  • Heavy, weighted stuffed animals and dense decorative items

  • Large jars of spices, salt or other powders and bulk containers of food

Even with CT scanners, bags that contain items outside these rules may be flagged and diverted for additional inspection or confiscation.​

Why YEG Is Upgrading Now

YEG’s upgrade comes as passenger numbers return to and slightly exceed pre‑pandemic levels, putting added pressure on security lines during peak travel periods. Airport officials expect to handle about 8.1 million passengers in 2025, roughly matching volumes from half a decade ago, with domestic traffic seeing some of the strongest growth.

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Holiday travel is a particular driver of change, since wait times at security can climb to roughly 30 minutes on busy days around Christmas. By allowing many travellers to keep liquids and electronics in their bags and by reducing the number of bags pulled aside for manual checks, YEG and CATSA expect the CT rollout to smooth passenger flow and cut some of the stress associated with peak‑season flying.​

Benefits For Travellers

The most immediate benefit passengers will experience is convenience: less unpacking and repacking at the checkpoint. Families juggling multiple bags, business travellers with laptops and tablets, and anyone carrying small toiletries in a carry‑on will have fewer steps to navigate when they reach the screening belt.​

There is also a time‑saving element, both for individual passengers and for entire lines. Because CT scanners reduce the need for secondary searches driven by unclear images of liquids or electronics, lines tend to move more steadily, producing a smoother overall experience that can help travellers reach their gates sooner and with fewer last‑minute rushes.​

Security And Safety Advantages

From a security perspective, CT scanners are designed to strengthen, not weaken, screening standards. The 3D imaging enables screening officers to identify potential threats in cluttered bags more reliably than with older 2D systems, allowing them to detect dangerous items that might otherwise be concealed among cables, clothing or toiletries.

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CATSA reports that the technology has undergone extensive testing at Canadian airports and at its own test facility, confirming both its effectiveness in threat detection and its compliance with Canadian safety regulations. Radiation levels from the machines are tightly controlled, and the devices are certified to meet the requirements of the Radiation Emitting Devices Act and related standards, ensuring safety for travellers, airport staff and screening officers.​

Part Of A Wider Trend

YEG’s CT project forms part of a broader Canadian and international movement toward advanced security screening. CATSA has announced multi‑year plans to deploy CT scanners at other major airports, and similar technology is already operating at hubs such as Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg for certain screening lanes.​

Internationally, airports like London Gatwick have converted entire security halls to CT systems, enabling passengers there as well to keep liquids and laptops in their carry‑on bags as long as they respect volume limits. In Europe, regulatory deadlines are pushing larger airports to adopt CT technology, while authorities in the United States are also phasing CT scanners into high‑traffic and higher‑risk locations.​

YEG Upgrades And Traveller Experience

The CT scanners are one piece of a broader modernization of YEG’s central security area. The airport has redesigned the space to be significantly larger and more flexible, with a secure entrance, room for current and future technologies, and service staff on hand to guide passengers through the process.​

Alongside technology upgrades, YEG is focusing on customer support measures to make holiday and peak travel less overwhelming, such as wayfinding assistance and reminders about prohibited items before passengers reach the belt. These steps, combined with CT scanners, are intended to help travellers start their journeys with less anxiety and fewer unexpected delays, whether they are headed across Canada, into the United States or onward to international destinations.