ManitobaSome travellers passing through Winnipeg Richardson International Airport didn’t have to dig through their luggage to unpack their liquid or electronics this week after the airport’s first CT X-ray scanner was installed at the security checkpoint. CT X-ray scanner at Line 4 will speed up security process, passengers say Lauren Scott · CBC News · Posted: Nov 29, 2025 12:02 PM EST | Last Updated: 2 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.A new CT X-ray scanner was installed at the Winnipeg Richardson International Airport security checkpoint this week. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)Some travellers passing through Winnipeg Richardson International Airport didn’t have to dig through their luggage to unpack their liquid or electronics this week after the airport’s first CT X-ray scanner was installed at the security checkpoint. The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority installed the scanner — the Winnipeg airport’s first using CT technology — as part of a multi-year project upgrading security screening systems at airports across Canada. Jessie Schmidtke, a communications specialist for the Winnipeg Airports Authority, said the new scanner was installed at security Line 4, with the rest of the lines expected to be upgraded by the end of 2026. Passengers going through the scanner-equipped line won’t have to unpack their approved liquids, aerosols or gels, Schmidtke said. Medical devices and large electronics, including laptops, can stay inside carry-on bags too. “This is just really going to help with improving those processing times, getting through security quicker,” Schmidtke said.”It’ll just be an improved experience overall for passengers.”Jessie Schmidtke, a communications specialist with the Winnipeg Airports Authority, says the new CT scanner will help improve efficiency at the airport’s security checkpoint. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)Including Winnipeg, CT X-ray scanners have been installed at eight airports across Canada so far, with others in Halifax, Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, a map on the transport authority’s website shows. Gagandeep Kaur, who was at the Winnipeg airport on Friday, said the scanner is an improvement that will make getting through security easier for travellers.”It is very convenient,” Kaur said. “You don’t have to take out your liquids, and it will also increase the efficiency in regards to time and effort.”Hussam Karim, who was also travelling through the airport on Friday afternoon, called the new technology “a great idea.””You don’t have to take anything apart, and it’s probably going to make the process a lot quicker, especially for rush hours like this,” Karim said. ABOUT THE AUTHORLauren Scott is a Winnipeg-based reporter with CBC Manitoba. They hold a master’s degree in computational and data journalism, and have previously worked for the Hamilton Spectator and The Canadian Press.With files from Toni De Guzman
New scanner at Winnipeg airport means some passengers won’t have to unpack liquids, laptops
