JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel has installed a new baggage scanning system to check for weapons at Ben-Gurion Airport, a security upgrade that should help eliminate the lengthy interrogations and searches that many departing passengers now must undergo, officials said Tuesday.

The $20 million scanner, which went into operation Monday, electronically examines luggage for suspicious objects, and should reduce the squads of young security guards who grill passengers and closely scrutinize their bags.

The questioning can last 30 minutes or more, with security officers frequently repeating the same questions to test that the responses are consistent.

Because many passengers undergo the questioning, it can take two to three hours to check in for a routine flight at Ben-Gurion Airport.

``It's a real upgrade of security in the airport and I hope it will also be a service to passengers,'' said Pini Shif, a spokesman for Israel's Airport Authority. ``We are going to save the time that it took all the passengers to go through the inquiry.''

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