TSA installs over 1,100 CT scanners at US airports

The Transportation Security Administration has installed 1,162 computed tomography scanners at 296 airports in the United States as of early July 2026. The deployment is part of a rollout paid for by a $781.2 million contract awarded in 2022.

The scanners build three-dimensional images of carry-on bags. Officers can rotate those images and inspect a bag's contents from any angle. Automated threat detection algorithms run on the images and are capable of identifying liquid explosives.

Passengers using the lanes can leave laptops and 3-1-1 liquids inside their bags rather than removing them for separate screening. The CT units replace flat 2D X-ray machines, which the agency describes as a substantial improvement in capability.