UK and EU airports are sticking with 100ml liquid rule - but why? | latest Breaking News
Air travellers who hoped the era of "tiny toiletries" was nearly over are facing fresh disappointment, as European airports re-introduce strict cabin bag rules.
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00:00Air travellers who hoped the era of tiny toiletries was nearly over are facing fresh
00:05disappointment as European airports re-introduce strict cabin bag rules.
00:10Some EU destinations had scrapped the 100ml limit for liquids being carried in hand luggage.
00:17But from Sunday, they must all bring it back due to a
00:21temporary technical issue with new security scanners.
00:25It follows a similar move by the UK earlier this summer.
00:29It means if you have been on holiday, you cannot buy a large bottle of suncream,
00:34perfume or a local tipple before you get to the airport and expect to
00:37carry it home in your hand luggage. What is happening in the EU?
00:42Airline passengers around the world had grown used to strict 100ml restrictions on liquids,
00:48pastes and gels, which had to be put in a clear plastic bag.
00:52But new scanning machines which use CT X-ray technology should in theory enable larger
00:58volumes of liquids to go through, and laptops to stay in bags.
01:02Some EU airports, for example in Rome and Amsterdam, had already put them in place and
01:08eased their rules. Most had not yet, some others have been trialling the new technology.
01:14The Europe branch of the Airports Council International
01:18estimates around 350 of these scanners are now in use across 13 EU countries such as Germany,
01:24Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands and Sweden.
01:30However, the EU has reinstated the 100ml limit so a technical issue with the new
01:35equipment can be addressed, although it has not said what this issue is.
01:40Reports have suggested that the scanners were
01:42not accurate for some liquid containers being carried in bags.
01:47In July, ACI Europe criticised the restriction as a
01:50setback for the passenger experience and a blow to major investments made by airports.
01:56Its director-general, Olivier Gencovac, said security was the top priority, but added that
02:02those which have been early adopters of this new technology are being heavily penalised both
02:07operationally and financially. He also argued that restricting their use questions the trust
02:14and confidence the industry can place in the current EU certification system for aviation
02:19security equipment. What happened in the UK? Predictions that all the UK's airports would
02:25scrap their hand luggage liquid limits this year did not come to pass.
02:29The previous Conservative government had required state-of-the-art scanning
02:33equipment to be installed in security lanes by June 2024. It hasn't proved that straightforward.
02:40Some smaller airports, which have fewer lanes to update, did meet a deadline of June 2024.
02:47London City, Teesside, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Aberdeen and Southend had complied on time and
02:54dropped the old liquids rules. However, the likes of Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester didn't,
03:01reasons varied from the need for construction work to supply chain problems. They were given
03:07more time to get the new kit in place. But in mid-June, the Department for Transport suddenly
03:13announced 100ml liquids limits must be reintroduced where they had been dropped.
03:18Those airports that had scrapped the rule needed to swiftly change their
03:22processes and airport bosses were angry at the sudden U-turn.