Air travelers who hoped the era of "tiny toiletries" was almost over face fresh disappointment as European airports reintroduce stricter cabin bag rules.
"Passengers must be prepared to remove all liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) from hand luggage before screening, and all LAGs must be less than 100 ml," the new changes follow a temporary restriction imposed by the European Commission, which applies to all airports in the European Union. It is not known how long the restrictions will continue.
What is happening in the European Union?
Airline passengers worldwide have strict restrictions on 100ml liquids, pastes and gels, which must be placed in a clear plastic bag.
But new scanning machines using CT X-ray technology should theoretically enable large volumes of liquids to pass through and laptops to be stored in bags.
Some EU airports, such as those in Rome and Amsterdam, have already installed them and relaxed their rules. Most airports did not have the new scanners. Some other countries are currently experimenting with the new technology. The Europe branch of Airports Council International (ACI) estimates that around 350 scanners are now in use in 13 EU countries including Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands and Sweden. Due to a technical issue with the new equipment, the EU has re-introduced the 100ml limit so the issues can be resolved.
The 100ml liquid limit has been removed at airports where the new scanner has been introduced, as passengers are allowed to keep laptops and liquids in their hand luggage, but the EU has tightened regulations on "safety concerns" and fines for non-compliant airports. The European Commission announced temporary legal changes on July 31, describing them as "a precautionary measure" and stating that current C3 configurations "need to be modified to improve their performance".
The situation is similar in the UK
Predictions that all UK airports would drop hand luggage liquid limits this year have not materialised. The previous Conservative government had called for state-of-the-art scanning equipment to be installed on security lanes by June 2024. Some regional airports with only a small number of runways to update met the June 2024 deadline. But the security obligations are not proved.
However, airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester will not be affected. Their causes vary from the need for manufacturing operations to supply chain issues. They were given more time to get the new kit. But in mid-June, the Department for Transport suddenly announced in the UK that the 100ml liquid limit should be reintroduced where they left off. That means the security obligations are not proven.
