In December and February, we reported that the days of no liquids in hand luggage on flights were coming to an end, but it was a question of when the new technology would be implemented to allow this at our airports. Well, it seems as though we now have an idea of dates.
Currently, if you are carrying liquids in your hand luggage, you must adhere to certain rules. For example, the containers can only have a maximum capacity of 100ml and must be stored in a transparent plastic bag with a maximum capacity of one litre, which must be unpacked to be shown at airport security checkpoints.
This will soon be a thing of the past, but it will be sooner at some airports than others. The new computer tomography (CT) scanners, which create three-dimensional views of luggage, means that liquids and electrical items can be analysed inside a suitcase or bag so you won’t need to take them out.
Also, the limit for container size is to be adjusted as well so that drinks can then also be transported within a new limit of 2 litres with no restriction on size.
In trials, this has resulted in shorter waiting times and less queuing at airport security because the number of passengers checked increased by up to 160% in the same time period that it takes now.
However, the stumbling block is the cost and delivery time of these new scanners meaning that airports are only gradually installing them, so here is a brief overview of expected dates as announced by the airports themselves:
UK and Ireland:
Teeside: in operation since March 8th.
London City: in operation since April 4th.
Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Stansted: already partly in use.
(All these airports are to be fully operational by June 2024)
Shannon: already available
Dublin: installation is underway.
Spain (including the Canary Islands):
From 2024: Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El-Prat.
End of 2024: Palma de Mallorca
2025: Malaga
2026: Gran Canaria, Tenerife South, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Alicante, Ibiza, Bilbao, Menorca, and Valencia.
However, the fact that an airport already has the new scanners does not automatically mean that you are allowed to take larger liquids with you, as many are still testing the system or waiting for an official launch.
Due to this, always check the website of the airport you are travelling from and to, to ensure no unwanted problems at security.
