Frankfurt Airport has opened its state-of-the-art Terminal 3, which aims to serve up to 19 million passengers per year with three boarding gates. To get the terminal ready for operation, new security lanes were also equipped with millimeterwave scanners from Rohde & Schwarz. The decision to select the QPS201 and QPS Walk2000 models promises not only faster passenger flows but also the latest in both security and comfort.
The new major airport section is one of the most advanced infrastructures in Europe. In addition to clear routing, digital services and improved public transport links, operator Fraport is focused on the efficiency of security checks. Rohde & Schwarz was therefore commissioned to install 17 of its QPS201 security scanners and two QPS Walk2000 scanners in the terminal’s security lanes.
The QPS201 security scanner combines high-resolution millimeterwave technology with AI‑powered analysis algorithms. It reliably detects prohibited items with a false alarm rate significantly below regulatory requirements. Image analysis is almost entirely automated, so security personnel only have to check the areas that have actually set off the alarm. This significantly reduces time spent on subsequent checks per passenger and increases the throughput rate of each lane while maintaining the same level of security. More than 2,000 of these systems are currently in use around the world.
The new terminal also features two new QPS Walk2000 scanners, which allow passengers to walk through at a normal pace. The QPS Walk2000 completely eliminates the hassle of having to adopt a fixed pose, as required by traditional scanners.
It not only brings down the average dwell time per passenger but also ensures a low false alarm rate thanks to the highest data quality and most advanced algorithms. For the operator, Fraport, this means increased capacity utilization of the new security lanes, fewer follow-up checks and an overall more reliable security process. For passengers, these scanners mean faster and more comfortable security checks before takeoff.
All scanners have the required approvals from the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC), the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other national authorities, emphasizing their regulatory compliance and international applicability. By integrating Rohde & Schwarz scanners, Frankfurt Airport is showing that state-of-the-art technology and seamless passenger processes can go hand in hand.
