New York's JFK airport will screen luggage with a CT scanner

Some passengers traveling through JFK airport will soon have the contents of their luggage examined through a CT scanner. American Airlines has donated eight of the machines to the TSA, one of which has been installed at JFK, and it's expected to be put into operation in JFK's Terminal 8 security checkpoint later this month. By opting for a CT scanner over the traditional x-ray machines, TSA agents would be able to see contents more clearly and be able to rotate images of passengers' luggage 360 degrees. "What it's capable of doing is detecting a wider range of explosives, which is very important, [as well as] a much lower weight of explosives," TSA Administrator David Pekoske told CBS News. "They're just much better at detection, so you really get better security faster, essentially."

With the deployment of CT technology, there would be less of a need for passengers to remove items like liquids, gels and large electronics from their bags when they go through security. "We think in perhaps five years or so, the passengers won't have to take anything out of their carry-on bags," said Pekoske.

CT scanners are already being tested at airports in Phoenix and Boston, and CBS News reports that the TSA aims to have 15 scanners operating in airports by the end of this year. Next year, the agency is authorized to purchase 240 CT scanners.