Remember when Boris Johnson said we wouldn’t have to face 100ml carry-on liquid limits when passing through airport security anymore?
Well, that didn’t happen – it was pushed forward from its initial start date in 2022 to 2024, and a few short days after some airports complied, the move was reversed.
The 100ml limit remains in place for cabin luggage in all airports in the UK. But with recent developments at multiple UK airports, it seems there may be some welcome news for those who find the security procedure stressful.
More and more airports are getting better scanners
Part of the 2019 promise for UK fliers was that people wouldn’t need to remove their liquids, or their tech, from their carry-on luggage before they got scanned. This technology already exists.
The scanners, which use computed tomography (CT), also seen in medical devices, make this possible in airports where they’re installed because they make the contents of the bag available in greater detail to staff.
If you go to an airport with a CT scanner, therefore, you don’t always have to remove your liquids, gels, and aerosols from your bag, and you can keep your laptop in there too.
Some airports with CT scanners will still ask you to put liquids in a clear bag though.
Nine major airports now have that technology, potentially leading to fewer security steps for passengers.
Which airports have CT scanners?
The UK airports which currently use CT scanners include:
- London Gatwick
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Leeds Bradford
- Luton
- Newcastle
- Southend
- Teesside
- London City
- Belfast International
- Aberdeen.
Passengers flying through these airports may be able to leave up to 100ml containers of liquids, gels, and aerosols in their bags alongside their laptops.
And the ones which are working on getting CT scanners, but which still have some old tech (and therefore may follow old security rules) include:
- East Midlands
- Glasgow
- Heathrow
- Manchester
- Southampton
- Stansted.
What are the current liquid rules in the UK?
According to the government’s site, the rules on liquids exclude liquids needed for medical purposes, special dietary requirements, baby food or baby milk.
Otherwise, we’re still limited to 100ml – even if a container that holds more than 100ml is only part-full, it likely won’t go through security.
For the rest, they say we should follow these rules:
- containers must hold no more than 100ml
- containers must be in a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag, which holds no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm
- contents must fit comfortably inside the bag so it can be sealed
- the bag must not be knotted or tied at the top
- you’re limited to one plastic bag per person
- you must show the bag at the airport security point.
As more and more CT scanners are installed in airports across the UK, you’ll be able “to take containers of liquid up to 100ml through security in your hand luggage” – though you should check this with both the airport you fly from and the one you land into to be double-sure, they advise.
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