Travellers flying through ten airports in the United Kingdom can now carry up to 2 litres of liquids in their hand luggage, as the UK government officially begins relaxing the long-standing 100ml liquid rule.
The update follows the full installation of advanced 3D computed tomography (CT) scanners at select terminals across the country.
The UK Department for Transport has confirmed that ten airports have completed installations of advanced computed tomography (CT) scanners, enabling passengers to carry up to 2 litres of liquids in their hand luggage without the need to remove them during security checks.
The airports include:
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Gatwick
- Leeds Bradford
- London City
- Luton
- Newcastle
- Southend
- Teesside
These airports now allow passengers to keep laptops, tablets, and liquids inside their bags when passing through security, reducing the need for time-consuming bag unpacking.
Airports still operating the 100ml rule.
Despite the progress, not all major UK airports have met the upgrade deadline. Heathrow, Manchester, and Stansted airports, among the country’s busiest, are still operating under the original 100ml rule.
The delay is due to challenges faced during the installation and testing of the new scanners. As of June 2024, the Department for Transport had reimposed the liquid restriction at some airports after scanner rejections led to slower passenger processing and increased manual searches.
While the original target was to complete the technology rollout across all major UK airports by June 2024, the Department for Transport noted that delays were expected and that full implementation is now aimed for June 2025.
What you should know
The newly introduced scanners provide a 3D rotatable image of passengers’ bags, allowing security officers to inspect contents more thoroughly without requiring passengers to remove items. This enhances both security and the passenger experience.
- Unlike the traditional 2D X-ray machines, these scanners detect potentially dangerous items more accurately and reduce the need for time-consuming manual bag checks.
- While the technology is expected to streamline airport procedures and improve safety, travellers are advised to check their departure airport’s status before packing. The uneven implementation means passengers may still need to comply with traditional rules, depending on their departure or transit airport.
Until the system is fully deployed, the safest approach remains to pack liquids in accordance with the 100ml restriction unless flying exclusively through airports with upgraded scanners.
In the United States, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has been deploying CT scanners at various airports, including Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago’s O’Hare. While these scanners allow passengers to leave liquids and electronics in their carry-on bags during screening, the TSA has not yet relaxed the 100ml liquid rule.
