JOHANNESBURG - Airport Baggage screening machines have reached the end of their lifespan.
This has left airports including OR Tambo and King Shaka International Airports reliant on outdated systems.
But a Gauteng High Court ruling has prevented a serious security and operational issue.
The court has granted Aviation Coordination Services’ (ACS) request to replace Hold Baggage Screening (HBS) machines.
It follows a legal battle between ACS and Airports Company South Africa (ACSA).
In 2023, ACSA terminated ACS’s baggage screening services intending to take over the service directly.
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The company went ahead with this even though it is the airline’s responsibility to provide HBS services at airports.
And ACS was legally mandated to manage HBS by the airports.
ACS CEO, Duke Phahla, has welcomed the judgment.
‘Should HBS screening equipment fail, these airports would have to augment screening procedures at Level 3 which could include, the use of sniffer dogs, Explosives Trace detection and manual hand screening, which would be significantly slower,’ Phahla explained.
He says the dismissal of ACSA’s appeal means ACS will now be allowed to replace the old HBS equipment which will ensure they continue to operate effectively.
These machines improve threat detection, faster processing times but also reduce the burden on screeners, improve output, and reduce the risk of false alarms or missed detections.
ACS says the upgrades will take about a month, with the work happening mostly outside peak hours to avoid disrupting passenger travel.