Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market By Technology (Backscatter X-Ray Scanner, Millimeter Wave Scanner), By Airport (Cargo Service Airport, General Aviation Airport, Commercial Airport, Reliever Airport), By Country, Competition, Forecast & Opportunities, 2020-2030F

Market Overview:

Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market was valued at USD 77.13 Million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 113.05 Million by 2030 with a CAGR of 6.58% during the forecast period. Europe & CIS airport full body scanner market is experiencing significant momentum as airports prioritize advanced security infrastructure to counter evolving threats and improve passenger screening efficiency. Growth drivers include heightened focus on aviation safety, increasing adoption of millimeter-wave and backscatter technologies for accurate detection, and rising passenger traffic pushing airports to invest in faster and more reliable security systems. Trends shaping the market involve the integration of artificial intelligence and biometric authentication with scanners to reduce false alarms, the shift toward touchless and privacy-enhanced screening solutions, and continuous miniaturization of systems for space efficiency.

Market Drivers

Growing Passenger Traffic Demands

The rapid growth in global air travel has created intense pressure on airports to handle higher passenger volumes without compromising safety. Full body scanners are emerging as a critical solution, offering quick and efficient screening processes that detect concealed weapons, explosives, and prohibited items with minimal delay. Airports face growing expectations from travelers for seamless yet secure journeys, which makes advanced scanners valuable in balancing convenience and protection. The increased incidence of sophisticated smuggling attempts and evolving threat types further intensifies the demand for next-generation scanning systems that can identify threats invisible to traditional metal detectors. For instance, in 2024, air travel in the EU demonstrated solid growth, with almost 1.1 billion passengers carried, marking an 8.7% rise from 2023. International extra-EU transport accounted for 49.3% of all passengers, followed by intra-EU transport at 36.3% and national flights at 14.3%. Passenger traffic recorded consistent year-on-year increases across all months of 2024, with February showing the highest jump at +13.7%.

Rising Emphasis on Passenger Safety

Passenger safety has become a cornerstone of the aviation industry, and airport full body scanners are a critical part of achieving this goal. With evolving security threats ranging from concealed weapons to non-metallic explosives, traditional metal detectors and manual checks are no longer sufficient. Full body scanners provide a deeper level of detection, enabling authorities to identify hidden items that might otherwise go unnoticed. The growing awareness of advanced threats has created pressure on airports to adopt cutting-edge scanning technologies capable of handling these risks without causing delays. By ensuring accurate detection with minimal inconvenience, these systems help build passenger trust in airport security infrastructure. For instance, the One-Stop Security (OSS) concept is gaining momentum as airports and regulators seek to streamline passenger screening, reduce duplication, and enhance operational efficiency. With global air traffic projected to reach 9.4 billion passengers by 2024, OSS offers reduced connection times, improved passenger experiences, and optimized airport throughput while lowering energy consumption and carbon emissions. The EU has been a leader in implementation, with North America and Asia-Pacific regions gradually adopting measures.

Advancements in Screening Technology

The evolution of screening technology has significantly transformed the airport security landscape, driving the adoption of full body scanners across terminals worldwide. Sophisticated innovations such as millimeter-wave and backscatter X-ray technologies have enabled faster, more accurate, and less intrusive scanning of passengers. The shift toward AI-assisted imaging and automated threat detection software reduces human error and minimizes false positives, which improves operational efficiency while enhancing the reliability of security procedures. Such technological progress allows airports to process larger volumes of passengers without compromising detection quality, addressing both safety concerns and the need for seamless travel experiences. The development of systems with enhanced privacy filters also addresses passenger apprehension about invasive imaging, making them more widely acceptable. For instance, Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport has introduced advanced HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX scanners at Terminal 1 checkpoints, allowing passengers to keep liquids and electronics in their bags. These 3D CT scanners feature automated threat detection, reduce false alarms, and speed up security screening, with deployment planned for Terminal 3 later in 2023.

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Key Market Challenges

High Installation and Maintenance Costs

Despite their clear advantages, full body scanners face challenges due to their high initial investment and ongoing maintenance requirements. Airports must allocate substantial budgets for the purchase, installation, and calibration of these systems, which can pose barriers for smaller operators with limited resources. Beyond acquisition, regular servicing, software updates, and compliance upgrades add to the total cost of ownership. These expenses are critical to maintain optimal scanner performance but can significantly burden airport budgets. In some cases, the high costs may delay adoption or lead to reliance on outdated systems that compromise security effectiveness. Moreover, as technology rapidly evolves, airports face the added pressure of replacing older scanners with next-generation models to meet regulatory and operational standards.

Passenger Privacy Concerns

Passenger privacy continues to be a sensitive challenge associated with the use of full body scanners. These systems generate detailed images of individuals, which can raise discomfort and fears of personal data misuse. Even with the introduction of privacy filters and automated threat recognition software that eliminates the need for human operators to view raw scans, many passengers remain skeptical. The concern extends beyond the scanning process itself to issues of data storage, transmission, and potential unauthorized access. This resistance can lead to public debates, legal challenges, and reluctance among travelers to cooperate during security checks, slowing down operations and creating friction between airports and passengers. Airports must constantly invest in communication campaigns to assure travelers that their privacy is safeguarded, while manufacturers work on refining imaging technology to make scans less invasive.

Key Market Trends

Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Screening

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a transformative trend in airport full body scanning, enabling enhanced accuracy, efficiency, and speed. AI-powered algorithms analyze scans in real-time to detect prohibited items, reducing reliance on human interpretation and minimizing false alarms. This not only accelerates passenger processing but also ensures greater consistency in threat detection. AI integration allows scanners to learn from vast data sets, improving their ability to identify new and evolving threats that may bypass traditional detection methods. Automated threat recognition reduces operator workload, lowers error rates, and enhances security reliability. AI also supports predictive analytics, allowing airports to forecast passenger flows and adjust scanner deployment dynamically.

Development of Privacy-Enhanced Screening Solutions

The demand for privacy-enhanced full body scanners is driving a trend toward systems that balance security needs with passenger comfort. Manufacturers are increasingly focused on designing scanners that use generic avatars, automated alerts, and minimal image detail to alleviate concerns over intrusive imaging. These innovations ensure that scanners highlight only areas requiring attention without producing identifiable visuals of the passenger’s body. The growing importance of privacy in technology adoption has led to the development of advanced filtering software and AI-enabled redaction features, ensuring compliance with strict privacy regulations. By addressing public apprehensions, privacy-enhanced solutions not only improve passenger acceptance but also accelerate the pace of deployment across airports. This trend also reflects a shift in design philosophy, where the focus is not just on detection capability but also on user trust.

Shift Toward Touchless Screening Experiences

Touchless technology adoption is reshaping airport screening practices, with full body scanners playing a central role in this transformation. Traditional physical pat-downs or intrusive inspections are increasingly being replaced by automated, contact-free scanning methods that enhance both passenger convenience and hygiene. This shift reflects a growing emphasis on seamless and frictionless travel experiences, where passengers move through checkpoints with minimal delays and discomfort. Touchless scanners combine advanced imaging with software-driven detection to flag potential threats without requiring physical contact, thereby improving throughput and reducing passenger anxiety. The emphasis on contactless processes aligns with broader innovations in airport operations, such as biometric check-ins and automated boarding gates, creating a cohesive digital ecosystem.

Segmental Insights

Airport Insights

In 2024, commercial airports represent the dominant segment in Europe & CIS airport full body scanner market, driven by the sheer scale of passenger traffic and the stringent security requirements placed on large-scale aviation hubs. These airports handle millions of travelers each year, making efficiency, accuracy, and compliance with international security standards critical priorities. Full body scanners are widely deployed across commercial airports because they provide rapid, non-intrusive screening that reduces wait times while maintaining high detection accuracy against evolving threats such as non-metallic weapons and concealed explosives. The emphasis on balancing passenger safety with seamless travel experiences has reinforced the adoption of advanced scanners capable of integrating with biometric authentication and automated threat detection systems.

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Country Insights

In 2024, the United Kingdom emerged as the dominant market for airport full body scanners in Europe & CIS, supported by its extensive international air travel network and the critical importance of maintaining stringent aviation security standards. The country’s role as a major global aviation hub has necessitated significant investment in advanced passenger screening technologies capable of meeting both regulatory requirements and operational demands. Full body scanners are widely deployed across its major airports, ensuring that large volumes of travelers are processed swiftly while maintaining the highest detection accuracy. For instance, UK is set to trial facial recognition-based intelligent borders in 2024, replacing passports with e-gates, while Farnborough Airport pioneers a hybrid digital tower using ultra-HD video and ADS-B for safer, more efficient operations.

Germany represented the second largest market in 2024, driven by its strong aviation infrastructure and high passenger throughput across multiple busy airports. Investments in modernizing airport facilities have included the installation of advanced scanning technologies designed to enhance safety and streamline the passenger journey. The country’s focus on adopting high-performance screening systems has ensured a steady demand for full body scanners, maintaining its position as a critical market within the region.

Recent Developments

• ​In 2025, Frankfurt Airport permanently introduced QPS Walk2000 walk-through body scanners after successful trials, enhancing detection accuracy, reducing wait times, and improving passenger convenience with faster, pose-free security checks.
• In 2024, the EU reinstated the 100 ml liquid limit for airports using C3 scanners, reducing throughput and impacting early adopters, prompting calls for clearer certification guidelines and legal certainty.
• In 2025, several European airports are undergoing significant improvement projects to enhance capacity and passenger experience. Amsterdam Schiphol Airport is investing over $6.5 billion in expansion and modernization over the next five years. London Heathrow is progressing with its renovation plans, including the construction of a state-of-the-art terminal. Athens International Airport is also undergoing upgrades to accommodate growing passenger numbers.
• In 2024, Poland confirmed plans for the $33.2 billion Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) mega-airport near Warsaw, with construction starting in 2026. The hub will feature a 450,000 m² terminal, multiple runways, and high-speed rail links, aiming to handle 34 million passengers annually and strengthen European connectivity.

Key Market Players

• L3Harris Technologies, Inc
• Rapiscan Systems, Inc.
• Tek84 Inc.
• Westminster Group Plc
• Smiths Detection Group Limited
• Mistral Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
• LINEV Group
• Brijot Imaging Systems
• Nuctech Technology Co., Ltd.
• Braun and Company Limited

Report Scope:

In this report, Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

•           Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market, By Technology:

o    Backscatter X-Ray Scanner

o    Millimeter Wave Scanner

•           Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market, By Airport:

o    Cargo Service Airport

o    General Aviation Airport

o    Commercial Airport

o    Reliever Airport

•           Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market, By Country:

o    Germany

o    Russia

o    France

o    Spain

o    Italy

o    United Kingdom

o    Poland

o    Rest of Europe & CIS

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies presents in Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market.

Available Customizations:

Europe & CIS Airport Full Body Scanner Market report with the given market data, Tech Sci Research offers customizations according to the company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

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