Airport 100ml liquid rule: when will the UK ban be lifted?

If you’re travelling this summer, here’s what you need to know.

What are the current restrictions on liquids?

Liquids and other items might soon no longer have to be removed from your baggage

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Most airports around the world have a limit on the amount of liquids you can take through airport security in your carry-on luggage. At the moment, the cap is one litre in most cases, split across containers with no more than 100ml of liquid, gel or cream inside. All of the liquids must be put inside a clear, resealable plastic bag that measures approximately 20cm x 20cm, and removed from your luggage to be scanned at airport security.

The rules were put into place in 2006, after the Metropolitan police foiled an al-Qaeda plot to bring down at least seven transatlantic flights using liquid explosives concealed in 500ml soft drinks bottles in August of that year. Authorities in the UK and US immediately banned the carriage of all liquids except baby milk in hand luggage.

In November 2006, the ban was relaxed to allow for liquids, gels or creams in quantities of 100ml or less to be carried on board as long as they were packed in a clear plastic bag and removed from luggage before screening. Within months, most other countries had followed suit, and a rule widely criticised as an overreaction had the immediate effect of creating long security queues at airports all over the world as passengers took extra time to unpack and repack hand luggage, and security staff were forced to make more manual inspections after scanning.

When might the rules change?

The UK government believes the introduction of advanced computed tomography (CT) scanners will allow the restrictions on the carriage of liquids to be lifted.

The Department for Transport previously gave major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, Newcastle and Edinburgh until June 2024 to invest in the new technology — also known as 3D scanning. It would require airports to upgrade their screening equipment and processes, meaning the 100ml liquid rule would be changed to two litres. In addition, the requirement to remove laptops from hand luggage would be scrapped.

Teesside airport and London City airport were among the first to introduce the changes. Elsewhere, Shannon and Donegal airports in Ireland, which have 3D scanners in operation, have also lifted their bans.

However, Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports are behind schedule. While the technology has been installed in some security lanes already, it has not been implemented across the board. Gatwick says it expects to install the remaining scanners by the first three months of 2025, which is a similar time frame to Stansted and Manchester. Heathrow is also expecting to finish the installation in 2025.

The delay stems from the fact that introducing the scanners not only requires the purchase of expensive machines but also the reconfiguration of the security areas, including reinforcement of the floor in some cases due to the size and weight of the devices. It’s now understood that airports have been granted a year’s extension to complete the upgrade.

Birmingham is the only major UK airport due to hit the target date, with the changes to the 100ml rule expected to come into effect from June 1. Nick Barton, chief executive of Birmingham airport, told The Times: “The existing scanner is like a large domestic washing machine. The new machines are the size of a Ford Transit.”

Which UK airports have scrapped the rule?

Currently only London City airport, in the Docklands, and Teesside airport in Darlington.

How do 3D scanners work?

A Smiths Detection HI-SCAN unit at London Southend Airport

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CT scanners such as the HI-SCAN 6040 CTiX — developed by the London-based Smiths Detection and on trial at Heathrow since 2019 — use advanced x-ray technology to create layered 3D images that security staff can tilt and rotate to better identify the contents of cabin baggage. Coupled with the latest explosives-detection capabilities, the new scanners can detect a threat without the need for hand baggage to be unpacked, liquids to be limited to 100ml, or the use of clear plastic bags.

Will I still have to unpack my laptop at security?

Travellers will be able to keep their laptops and other electronics in their baggage when 3D scanning arrives

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Laptops, along with tablets, large cameras and any other electronic devices that currently need to be put on the belt in a separate tray can be left in your luggage where 3D scanners are in operation. In theory, this development, in conjunction with the end of the liquids ban, will greatly reduce the time taken for passengers to clear security.

Are there any other luggage restrictions?

Hand luggage allowances aside, there are a few other restrictions you should be aware of when going through airport security. Weapons are banned — but so is anything that might reasonably be confused for a weapon on an x-ray. That might include toy guns, swords and even something as innocuous as a snow globe. Hazardous materials fall into the same category.

Some destinations operate biosecure rules, which means food items and certain toiletries (insect repellent for example) may also be restricted.

If you’re carrying a battery pack, make sure it’s suitable for air travel. The rules can vary between destinations and airlines but generally passengers are allowed to carry up to two spare lithium-ion batteries (101–160Wh) or lithium metal batteries (2-8 grams). If you have a suitcase with a built-in battery pack, this will need to be removed and taken as carry-on luggage.

Will biometric technology also speed up the airport experience?

A British biometric passport

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Biometric technology has already sped up the airport experience. The adoption of facial recognition technology at about 100 airports, including Beijing International, Tokyo’s Narita, Istanbul, Fort Lauderdale, Basel, Hamburg, Munich and Vienna, has driven down the time spent in queues both land and airside.

The UK is a latecomer to the biometric revolution but in January 2023, Heathrow announced it was trialling facial recognition at Terminal 5. Airport bosses believe that biometrics will allow check-in, bag drop and boarding to be completed in less than 60 seconds per passenger, thus reducing the dependence on staff and increasing the time for airside shopping.

How does biometric technology work?

All you need is a biometric passport — which has an embedded chip containing unique identifiers such as face, fingerprint or iris data — and a boarding pass, and registration is quick and easy. The process can be completed at home, using a mobile phone to take a selfie, or at the airport, using self-service terminals that scan travel documents, take a high-resolution portrait and generate an encrypted biometric profile. Thereafter, bag drop, security, lounge access and boarding can be completed by simply glancing at facial recognition cameras at each barrier, thereby allowing fast-track progress from check-in to departure.

What is a biometric passport?

Easily identified by the gold camera logo on the cover, a biometric passport has a microchip embedded within it that contains identifying information such as your name, date of birth, fingerprints and facial and iris data. If your passport isn’t biometric then it’s probably out of date: every British passport issued since 2010 has the chip embedded.

• What happens if I miss my flight because of security queues?• Can I get a refund if my flight is cancelled?

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