For years, the TSA has been deploying CT scanners at airport checkpoints, and now the agency is facing an embarrassing problem. Some of these machines are too narrow to accommodate carry-on bags, forcing passengers to deal with the inconvenience of having their larger luggage sent to the baggage carousel instead. Those who believed they had perfected the skill of packing a big bag may discover that their efforts were for nothing.
The problem stems from the design of the new machines. CT scanners have smaller openings than the older X-ray scanners they replace, and that gap is wide enough to catch a traveler off guard. A TSA spokesperson told FOX 13 that the agency’s newer equipment simply cannot accommodate the same bag sizes as the older machines.
“This design is necessary to accommodate the advanced imaging technology and ensure optimal performance,” TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez told FOX 13. He added that officers are on hand to help travelers with larger items or special needs, promising to “help ensure a smooth screening process.”
Why the CT Scanners Are Narrower
Because of their advanced imaging technology, the CT scanners need a tighter aperture than the older X-ray machines. This narrower opening means some bags will not fit through the slot, which can cause the scanner to flag them.
Those who have traveled with a larger carry-on item may have managed to get away with it previously. The older X-ray machines were less strict, and a bag that barely squeezed through one checkpoint often slipped through the next one. But that situation has changed.
Before you travel, know the TSA’s advice is straightforward: check your airline’s dimensions. A piece of luggage that fits within an airline’s size limits should pass through the CT scanner without issue. However, a bag that has grown too large because it was overstuffed or expanded past its normal size is the one most likely to run into problems.
What Happens When a Bag Won’t Fit
When a suitcase is too large to pass through the scanner, the TSA agent’s choices are few. As Velez explains, personnel stand ready to help passengers with oversized baggage or particular requirements. Yet the final solution might still come down to sending the bag through the airline.
That means a passenger who arrives at the checkpoint with a bag that won’t fit will have to return to the airline’s ticket counter. There, they will need to check the bag and start over with a smaller carry-on or nothing at all.
To prevent bags from being packed too tightly into outer compartments, the TSA’s guidance asks travelers to avoid overpacking at a CT checkpoint. The requirement that bags lie flat inside a screening bin adds an additional constraint beyond the size limits.
The Scanner Design Trade-Off
Travelers whose bags suit the machines gain a distinct advantage: the CT scanners produce images that show the contents in three dimensions, which allows officers to examine more bags without opening them. This cuts down on the number of passengers who need to be pulled aside for a hands-on search.
When using a CT lane, passengers may keep laptops, tablets, and travel-sized liquids packed, simply by following the instructions of officers at the checkpoint. This ease is something that older X-ray lanes did not provide.
The price is genuine: newer machines deliver sharper pictures, yet they tolerate smaller margins for error when it comes to dimensions. A bag that once sailed through an older scanner now draws attention at the checkpoint.
The Carry-On Snag in Context
The routine at the airport has changed more than once in recent years, and the latest alteration involves a step that used to be required for everyone. In 2025, the TSA ended its general shoes-off requirement, which means that travelers who were previously accustomed to removing their footwear at every checkpoint no longer need to do so.
After that change came about, the carry-on question followed it. It stands as yet another instance of security technology changing the experience of flying, occasionally in ways that catch passengers off guard.
| Security Change | What Changed | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Shoes-off requirement | Ended general requirement | 2025 |
| CT scanners | Narrower scanner openings | Ongoing rollout |
| Baggage checks | More carry-ons sent to carousel | Ongoing effect |
How to Avoid the Problem
Before packing, it pays to compare your bag’s measurements against what your airline says is allowed. Airlines usually post their maximum carry-on dimensions online, and a quick check of those figures is all it takes.
Keeping a light load matters too, since a bag stuffed to excess might fail to fit through the scanner even when its empty measurements would otherwise be fine.
Velez pointed out that travelers with large items or special needs can get help from TSA officers at the checkpoint. Still, the agency’s own advice suggests skipping the issue entirely through careful planning.
The Hammock Comfort Program
The Transportation Security Administration has been making some parts of the screening process tighter while also working to make the airport experience more pleasant for passengers. One way it has done this is by encouraging the use of hammocks at airports.
These two programs operate independently of each other, yet together they illustrate the agency moving in opposing directions simultaneously: one alters how travelers pass through checkpoints, while the other transforms the broader setting of the airport.
What Passengers Should Expect
Travelers should expect their hand luggage to be too large for the screening machine, so they should prepare for that possibility ahead of time. They should measure their bags, keep the load light, and review what the airline allows before setting out from home.
The agency has acknowledged the problem, per Velez’s statement, which suggests the TSA knows about the trouble travelers face. Yet the way these machines are built cannot be changed.
When you show up at a CT checkpoint with a bag, keep in mind that the machine isn’t malfunctioning. It was designed for an earlier era of carry-on luggage.
For years, the TSA has been installing CT scanners at airport checkpoints, and the awkward reality is that some of these machines are too tight to accept carry-on bags. Travelers who believed they had figured out how to pack a large suitcase may now find their luggage waiting for them at the baggage carousel instead.
The truth is that the new system works well for scanning, yet it is more selective about what passes through. The advice to check the TSA’s solution — check your airline’s measurements before flying — is guidance worth considering.
For bags that do fit inside the machines, the scanners deliver a clear advantage: their three-dimensional pictures allow officers to examine contents without opening as many bags. Passengers can keep laptops, tablets, and travel-sized liquids packed during a CT screening, provided they follow instructions from officers at the checkpoint.
The new scanning machines are causing travelers more trouble. A suitcase that used to breeze through an old machine now triggers an alarm at the checkpoint. The TSA’s advice is to check your airline’s measurements before you fly, which is a reasonable requirement, though it can feel like an annoyance.
The carry-on snag follows another change to the airport routine after the TSA ended its general shoes-off requirement in 2025. The two changes are separate, but they share a common theme: security technology is changing how we fly, and not always in ways that make the trip smoother.
Beyond security theater, the TSA has also been working to improve passengers’ comfort. One example is encouraging the use of hammocks at airports. This initiative shows that the agency is thinking about making the airport experience more tolerable, not just focused on security.
Before heading out, it pays to measure your luggage, keep it light, and confirm what the airline allows. The scanning equipment will still be there when you arrive, just as it has been built.
When you reach a CT checkpoint with a bag in hand, keep in mind that the machine is not malfunctioning. It was designed for a different era of carry-on luggage, that’s all.
Source material: “New TSA security change could force passengers to check their carry-on bags,” Dexerto.
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