The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is using a state-of-the art, fully automated Checked Baggage Inspection System (CBIS) to screen the checked luggage of travelers departing Saipan International Airport (SPN). TSA certified the CBIS for use in screening operations this September.
“We are grateful to officials at SPN for their investment in a new checked baggage screening system that puts TSA in a position to deliver the highest level of security in the most efficient manner,” said TSA Federal Security Director for the Pacific Nanea Vasta. “We are proud of our strong partnership with local officials and we look forward to future investments in security to meet the aviation security needs of the Saipan community.”
The CBIS at SPN features a network of conveyor belts that sorts and tracks travelers’ checked luggage, moving it seamlessly from the airline ticket counter, through the security screening process and onto the area where the luggage is loaded onto the aircraft. By law, TSA is required to screen all checked luggage for explosives and other security threats that could be catastrophic on an aircraft.
The CBIS utilizes two Explosive Detection System (EDS) units that generate a 3-D X-ray image of the contents of each checked bag. Each EDS unit is capable of screening up to 700 bags per hour.
The EDS is programmed to analyze the contents of a checked bag, completing a sophisticated and swift analysis of the 3-D image. The EDS technology then determines whether the bag is cleared for travel or if it requires follow-up screening.
If the EDS unit identifies a potential security threat, the image of the contents of the bag will be electronically sent for review by a TSA officer (TSO) who is located in a separate location. The TSO follows an established protocol, reviewing the image on-screen to determine if the bag is cleared to travel or if it needs to be sent for a physical inspection by a TSO.
If a TSO physically inspects a checked bag, that screening is done in clear view of a closed- circuit television camera. Travelers receive a “Notice of Inspection” in the bag if it has been opened for physical inspection by a TSO. Once the bag is cleared of any security threats and ready for travel, it is repacked and closed prior to handoff to the airline.
The vast majority of bags screened by the EDS do not require additional screening. If a bag is cleared by the EDS, it continues through the CBIS and onto an aircraft without any TSA contact.
A CBIS streamlines the checked baggage screening process and automates the movement of bags. This reduces the number of physical injuries sustained by TSOs since they do not have to lift or manually move heavy bags belonging to travelers. Previously, checked luggage was screened through stand-alone X-ray units and all golf bags had to be manually inspected by TSOs, which was a time consuming process.
Facts and stats: CBIS at SPN
- At SPN, there are two EDS units integrated into the CBIS.
- Each EDS unit is capable of processing 700 checked bags per hour.
- On average, TSA at SPN screens approximately 2,500 checked bags daily.
- There are seven search table stations at SPN to physically inspect checked bags and two oversized search table stations for baggage that is out of gauge and will not fit in the machine.
- The CBIS, which was tested and certified by TSA, began screening travelers’ checked luggage on September 4, 2023, and was a five-year and $13-million-dollar project.
As of September 2023, TSA is screening on average 2.4 million people and 1.4 million checked bags a day through TSA security checkpoints at more than 430 federalized airports. Nationwide, about 5% of checked bags require physical inspection by a TSO. The rest are cleared by the EDS and on-screen resolution.
