Mexico City airport installs 16 CT scanners so passengers can keep liquids and laptops in bags

Mexico City International Airport (AICM) is installing 16 computed tomography scanners for carry-on baggage at the passenger screening points of both terminals, with the work running from 15 October to the end of November 2026, airport operator Grupo Aeroportuario Marina said in a bulletin dated 19 October.

The first stage began at Filter D, between gates 5 and 6 in the domestic area of Terminal 1. The operator presents the project as part of the second stage of the airport's wider remodelling. According to the bulletin, the scanners produce high-resolution 3D images, can detect threats including explosives, calculate the volume of liquid containers and measure the dimensions of items, and meet the standards of the United States Transportation Security Administration as well as national and international rules.

The practical change for travellers is that, in lanes fitted with the new equipment, they will not need to take authorised liquids of up to 100 ml or electronic devices, including laptops, out of their cabin bags. The airport says this should make screening quicker and less intrusive, and that it will try to keep disruption to a minimum while the work is carried out gradually.

The bulletin does not say how many scanners go to each terminal or when each lane will start operating. Until the installation is complete, passengers should expect both old and new screening lanes and follow the instructions given at each checkpoint.