Frankfurt Airport (FRA) has switched all 50 CT scanners in Terminals 1 and 2 to APIDS – the Automatic Prohibited-Item Detection System – after two years of trials carried out with the German Federal Police and the European Union.
APIDS overlays artificial-intelligence software on Smiths-Detection CT scanners so that cabin bags can stay closed while the algorithm flags knives, firearms, detonators and other threats for secondary inspection. Fraport board member Alexander Laukenmann says early data show a 12–15 % increase in lane throughput during the morning business-travel peak, while false-alarm rates are down sharply. The upgrade is part of a €50 million modernisation package that began when Fraport took operational control of passenger screening in 2023.
![Frankfurt Airport becomes first EU hub to deploy AI-driven APIDS security screening]()
For corporate mobility managers the change could translate into shorter connection minimums at Germany’s busiest gateway, reduced missed-flight risk for short-haul shuttles and a better passenger-experience metric for duty-of-care dashboards. The Federal Interior Ministry’s certification criteria now serve as the reference model for other EU airports, meaning similar roll-outs could follow at Munich or Berlin within the next 18 months.
Before re-routing travellers through Frankfurt to take advantage of those slimmer connection windows, it’s worth confirming that every passenger’s travel documents are in order. VisaHQ can quickly tell you whether you need a Schengen visa for Germany, complete the paperwork online, and keep you updated with real-time alerts—ensuring the smoother security process isn’t undone by documentation issues. Check your requirements at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
Travellers should still allow extra time while personnel become familiar with the new work flow, but Fraport and the police insist no additional privacy data are stored: only the flagged X-ray is saved for quality-assurance auditing. Airlines are already adjusting crew report-times in anticipation of faster staff screening, while FRA’s ground-handling subsidiaries expect to redeploy agents from peak-hour queuing duties to airside positions.
APIDS overlays artificial-intelligence software on Smiths-Detection CT scanners so that cabin bags can stay closed while the algorithm flags knives, firearms, detonators and other threats for secondary inspection. Fraport board member Alexander Laukenmann says early data show a 12–15 % increase in lane throughput during the morning business-travel peak, while false-alarm rates are down sharply. The upgrade is part of a €50 million modernisation package that began when Fraport took operational control of passenger screening in 2023.
For corporate mobility managers the change could translate into shorter connection minimums at Germany’s busiest gateway, reduced missed-flight risk for short-haul shuttles and a better passenger-experience metric for duty-of-care dashboards. The Federal Interior Ministry’s certification criteria now serve as the reference model for other EU airports, meaning similar roll-outs could follow at Munich or Berlin within the next 18 months.
Before re-routing travellers through Frankfurt to take advantage of those slimmer connection windows, it’s worth confirming that every passenger’s travel documents are in order. VisaHQ can quickly tell you whether you need a Schengen visa for Germany, complete the paperwork online, and keep you updated with real-time alerts—ensuring the smoother security process isn’t undone by documentation issues. Check your requirements at https://www.visahq.com/germany/
Travellers should still allow extra time while personnel become familiar with the new work flow, but Fraport and the police insist no additional privacy data are stored: only the flagged X-ray is saved for quality-assurance auditing. Airlines are already adjusting crew report-times in anticipation of faster staff screening, while FRA’s ground-handling subsidiaries expect to redeploy agents from peak-hour queuing duties to airside positions.
