The UK Department for Transport (DfT) has updated its approved LEDS list, adding two new Agilent Technologies Insight300M configurations and a revised Kumahira Co. Ltd. LSR-M2 unit that airport security teams can now specify for liquids screening at checkpoints.
The list, maintained on GOV.UK since 2013, sets out every liquid explosive detection system cleared for use at UK airport security checkpoints, and the latest revision took effect on 1 October 2026. LEDS equipment screens liquids inside hand baggage for explosive traces without requiring passengers to remove bottles, the function that lets checkpoints process bagged liquids rather than binning them.
For a head of security or a checkpoint operations manager, this is a compliance document first and a procurement signal second. Any LEDS unit not on the current list cannot be used to meet UK screening requirements, so the update matters most to airports mid-way through a checkpoint refresh or due an equipment audit.
What changed, and when
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| 1 October 2026 | Two new Agilent Technologies Insight300M configurations added; Kumahira Co. Ltd. LSR-M2 configuration updated |
| 31 July 2026 | Expired LEDS approvals removed from the list |
| 10 September 2025 | New Leidos model added; configuration changes to three Rapiscan models |
Source: UK Department for Transport, 1 October 2026.
The 31 July 2026 removal of expired approvals is the line worth checking first. Any airport still running an older configuration that has since lapsed is, on paper, operating equipment the DfT no longer lists as approved, which is the kind of gap an audit or a regulator visit will catch quickly.
According to the DfT’s published list, approved configurations currently span Agilent, Kumahira, Leidos and Rapiscan, so the shortlist for a UK checkpoint refresh is wider than the two or three names most procurement teams reach for first. A smaller specialist such as Kumahira sits on the same list as the larger security-screening suppliers, and DfT approval, not brand recognition, is what determines eligibility.
This kind of guidance-led compliance check sits alongside the broader governance work the sector is doing on checkpoint and runway risk, echoing the structured questions ACI World set out for boards in its runway overrun guidance. It also lands as airports keep investing in checkpoint and airside instrumentation more broadly, from Ontario Airport’s private 5G security network with Boldyn Networks to the scale of data capture shown by one UK airport’s 120km pavement scanning programme with XenomatiX.
DfT has not published unit pricing for any LEDS model, and none should be assumed; procurement cost depends on the specific configuration and contract negotiated with the manufacturer.
What to do with this
Security and operations managers should cross-check their current checkpoint inventory against the live GOV.UK list now, flag any configuration removed on 31 July 2026, and route replacement or revalidation through the manufacturer before the next compliance audit rather than after it.
