100ml liquid limits and electronics: The new airport security rules you need to know

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Many airline passengers say the worst a part of any journey is the airport safety verify. Worldwide, a median of half one million individuals move by way of airport safety each hour. At London Heathrow airport alone, the speed is round 7,000 per hour.

Travellers resent the restrict on LAGs (liquids, aerosols and gels) in cabin baggage, in addition to the duty to extract electronics reminiscent of laptops and tablets from hand baggage.

The liquids guidelines have been launched swiftly worldwide in 2006 as “a brief measure” to guard towards explosives. Regardless of repeated guarantees they continue to be in place.

In 2019 Boris Johnson vowed the principles can be eased at main UK airports by 2022, permitting bigger portions and eliminating the necessity to have liquids individually scanned. Rishi Sunak’s authorities then prolonged that deadline to 1 June 2024.

Whereas a number of the UK’s airports complied, at different places the work was not quick sufficient to satisfy the deadline. And in any occasion, per week after the deadline, progress in aviation safety truly went into reverse, with the Division for Transport (DfT) ordering airports with the brand new gear to revive the previous 100ml restrict on LAGs. Airports have been informed they wanted to use individually to permit bigger portions.

Many British airports have now relaxed the 100ml restrict – with the most important, Heathrow saying the completion of its £1bn safety improve on 23 January 2026.

As well as, passengers can depart laptops, tablets and liquids inside their cabin baggage the place the brand new scanners are operational.

However simply because the airport you departed from permits liquids as much as two litres, don’t assume you are able to do the identical on the homebound flight.

Simon Calder, former safety officer at Gatwick airport and present Unbiased journey correspondent, explains extra.

Cabin baggage: what are the principles?

The record of things that can not be taken by way of an airport safety checkpoints in carry-on baggage has elevated over the many years.

All weapons, whether or not firearms, knives or explosives, are banned from hand baggage. However there are additionally strict guidelines about bigger portions of liquids, aerosols, gels, pastes, lotions and cosmetics, extending even to yoghurt, smooth cheese and creme eggs.

The UK authorities says: “At most airports, you can not take liquids in containers bigger than 100ml by way of safety. This nonetheless applies if the container is barely half full.” At airports with the 100ml rule in place, the next stipulations apply:

It provides that frozen liquids are banned, and warns: “Airport safety workers won’t let something by way of that they take into account harmful – even when it’s usually allowed in hand baggage.”

How did the airport liquids rule come about?

In August 2006 the aviation business – and baffled passengers – awoke to seek out safety guidelines for passengers had tightened in a single day. The federal government introduced that it had uncovered a terror plot to explode transatlantic jets from Heathrow to North America.

The perpetrators aimed to take the elements for improvised explosive gadgets on board numerous plane. The elements, derived from hydrogen peroxide, have been supposed to be smuggled aboard in smooth drink containers.

The plotters aimed to assemble the bombs on board earlier than detonating them and destroying the aircraft. They have been later convicted of offences together with conspiracy to homicide and conspiracy to trigger explosions.

The bosses of Britain’s airways have been referred to as within the early hours of 10 August 2006 to be informed their passengers can be banned from carrying something greater than a handbag or pockets into an plane cabin. Even pens have been banned from transatlantic flights, on the grounds that the ink they contained was a liquid.

One concession was made, for nursing moms: they may take milk for his or her child by way of the checkpoint, however provided that they tasted it first in entrance of safety workers to exhibit it was the true factor.

Baggage programs couldn’t deal with two or 3 times the traditional variety of objects, and Heathrow airport floor nearly to a standstill. Flight networks elsewhere within the UK and Europe have been additionally affected.

Three months later, the principles have been eased – however with strict limits that prevail at present at most airports worldwide.

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Why does the amount matter?

The 100ml restrict was chosen as a sufficiently low quantity to keep away from an on board risk, when mixed with the general restrict that every thing should match inside a resealable plastic bag, which holds not more than a litre.

Have been they all the time supposed to be everlasting?

No. The boundaries have been launched as a “short-term measure” whereas airport safety know-how caught up. However progress has been painfully sluggish.

So what’s the technological answer?

Trendy scanners utilizing computed tomography (CT) – the identical know-how as medical scanners – to analyse the molecular construction of the contents of a passenger’s bag. The machines can detect potential threats and current safety officers with a three-dimensional picture of the contents.

They’ll additionally analyse whether or not laptops and different digital gear current a hazard. At airports the place the know-how is put in, liquids in containers as much as two litres might be taken by way of, and laptops not often must be eliminated.

The goal is that safety must be enhanced, with extra subtle evaluation of potential threats. The quantity of workers time consumed in “secondary searches” must be decreased, permitting officers to spend extra time assessing passenger behaviour.

Travellers have a a lot simpler expertise: they now not want deconstruct their cabin baggage, and the entire airport course of feels smoother and fewer traumatic.

Are all airports on the identical web page?

No. Virtually all UK airports have the brand new package. However The Unbiased has discovered some key airports, for instance, Manchester, Stansted and Cardiff, the place passengers can depart liquids of their baggage – however the 100ml restrict nonetheless applies.

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Why was the 100ml rule reimposed at airports?

On 9 June 2024, airports that had ploughed tens of thousands and thousands of kilos into assembly the federal government deadline have been abruptly ordered to revive the 100ml restrict. At London Metropolis and Teesside, for instance, the brand new scanners had been working properly for over a yr, with passengers understanding that they may take anytig

It was not an entire reversal; passengers will nonetheless have the ability to depart liquids, aerosols, gels, and many others, of their cabin baggage. They have to, although, be in containers of 100ml or much less.

It was described on the time by the Division for Transport as a “short-term transfer” to “allow additional enhancements to be made to the brand new checkpoint programs”.

There are two issues. One is misidentifying many innocuous objects in passengers’ baggage as posing a risk. Sources have informed The Unbiased that innocent liquids reminiscent of sunscreen have been misidentified as high-threat substances. Innocuous objects reminiscent of books positioned near laptops, or bananas, have additionally triggered alarms.

The converse – and what alarms the aviation safety business – is that harmful objects might inadvertently be handed as protected.

Which airports have modified their airport safety guidelines?

For the reason that summer time of 2025, particular person airports that fulfill Division for Transport (DfT) inspectors have been capable of chill out the 100ml rule.

The primary main hub to take action was Birmingham, which urges passengers to go away every thing of their cabin baggage:

Edinburgh airport was subsequent to adopted swimsuit. Gordon Dewar, chief government of Scotland’s busiest hub, mentioned: “A complete era of travellers have solely identified the 100ml rule to be the case, so it truly is a momentous day as we grow to be the primary airport in Scotland to raise the rule because it was launched in 2006.”

Gatwick, second-largest airport within the UK, has additionally relaxed the rule, saying: “If you happen to do take liquids in your hand baggage, containers can now maintain as much as two litres. These containers can stay in your hand baggage for safety screening.”

Heathrow is the most recent massive airport to be given the go-ahead. Chief government Thomas Woldbye mentioned: “Each Heathrow passenger can now depart their liquids and laptops of their baggage at safety as we grow to be the biggest airport on this planet to roll out the most recent safety scanning know-how. Meaning much less time making ready for safety and extra time having fun with their journey – and thousands and thousands fewer single-use plastic baggage.”

Manchester is the third-busiest UK airport. Though it has new scanners put in all through, the DfT has not but given the go-ahead to enjoyable the liquids restrict.

When everybody has upgraded their scanning know-how, will that be the tip of issues?

No. Worldwide, lack of conformity is a key difficulty for aviation safety professionals – and passengers. At all times assume the previous guidelines are in place except you recognize for a proven fact that they’ve been relaxed.

At many airports liquids are restricted however can keep within the traveller’s bag. Laptops and tablets reminiscent of iPads have to be eliminated at some airports within the UK and lots of different international locations, however in some nations they needn’t be.

The European Union (and wider Schengen Space) additionally reverted to the “previous” guidelines in any respect airports from 1 September 2024, following issues concerning the new gear put in at some airports.

Of the ten busiest hubs in Europe, solely Dublin and Rome enable liquids as much as two litres. The remaining eight all insist on a 100ml restrict: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Istanbul, Lisbon, Madrid, Munich and Paris CDG .

Passengers shouldn’t count on aviation safety to be the identical worldwide – and even UK-wide. At some small Scottish airports together with Barra, Campbeltown and Tiree there have been no safety checks since 2017.

What about bottles of duty-free booze?

If you happen to purchase duty-free alcohol in airport A then fly to airport B for a connecting flight to airport C, you could possibly take it by way of the hub the place you’re altering planes.

At Dublin and Rome, for instance, it’s simple: the comfort of the liquids rule permits duty-frees beneath two litres.

In concept, a good variety of hub airports which preserve the 100ml rule enable passengers to airport purchases of drinks to be taken by way of checkpoints in a sealed “safe tamper-evident bag” (Steb). These clear plastic baggage are designed not be opened in transit with out it being apparent. The receipt must be positioned ready that enables safety workers to learn it and verify the contents towards it.

Even so, The Unbiased receives common experiences from passengers who’re caught out – dropping their costly airport purchases on the connecting level.

For liquids you may have purchased duty-paid (eg beer or a model of malt whisky not accessible at airport duty-free) and brought it by way of one of many UK airports with bigger limits, you’ll positively not have a Steb and are subsequently notably liable to going thirsty.

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Is there a duty-free answer?

Go for a direct flight. Or purchase if you arrive. The UK Journey Retail Discussion board says greater than 60 international locations have arrivals responsibility free shops in place – together with in Iceland, Norway and Switzerland in Europe, in addition to each the Istanbul airports.

Dubai, Tokyo Haneda, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Singapore and the primary Australian airports all enable duty-free alcohol to be purchased on arrival. Doha, hub for Qatar Airways, has arrivals duty-free – however not for alcohol.

America does safety in a different way …

Whereas all different nations merely deal with outbound flights, the US imposes further guidelines for passengers flying into American airports from overseas – on each liquids and “powder-like substances”. They can not carry something greater than 100ml into the plane cabin, except it’s responsibility free in a safe tamper-evident bag.

As well as, the Transportation Safety Administration warns: “If you’re flying from any of the last-point-of-departure airports into the US, it’s possible you’ll expertise a extra intensive screening course of and may put together for added screening of your property and private digital gadgets.

“We encourage you to position powder-like substances over 350 ml in your checked baggage. Powders in carry-on baggage could require secondary screening, and powders that can not be resolved by safety officers might be prohibited from the cabin of the plane.”

Is high-tech safety going to price me extra?

The airports which are collectively investing billions of kilos might be searching for a return – and that might embody elevating charges. However the long-term goal is that new tech ought to minimize workers prices, representing financial savings for airports.

Willie Walsh, director-general of the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (Iata) – representing airways worldwide – mentioned: “Implementing this know-how shouldn’t include an enormous invoice. In actual fact, simplified processes ought to ship vital efficiencies.”

“Speedy deployment must be doable. The know-how has already been used efficiently and for a very long time at numerous airports internationally with measurable enhancements to the passenger expertise.”

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Will aviation safety stay a everlasting ache?

No. In 2019 Iata described the prevailing safety scenario as “now not sustainable”. It has been working with airports for over a decade on a venture referred to as “Good Safety”.

In the end walk-through steel detectors and safety pat-down of many passengers must be eradicated, with know-how assessing doable threats extra successfully than people watching screens.

The passenger ought to have the ability to stroll unchallenged alongside a hall flanked by detectors, barely conscious that they’re being checked.

Checkpoints will nonetheless be staffed, however safety personnel might be freed as much as do what individuals do finest, which is to review the behaviour of passengers and establish “individuals of curiosity” for additional investigation.

Nevertheless, because the 2024 reversals at UK and EU airports present, there’s a lengthy strategy to go. And whereas new scanners are being put in throughout the US, the Transportation Safety Administration is ready on retaining the 100ml restrict (3.4 ounces in native models).

This piece was first written in April 2023 and is saved up to date with the most recent data