Rollback of 100ml liquid restrictions: you can now take 2 litres+ at some airports

Rob and I were both a bit perplexed this week when Edinburgh Airport sent us a press release saying that “passengers are now able to take liquids in containers of up to two litres through security.”

As you may remember, the UK Government has mandated that all UK airports install next-generation CT security scanners.

These devices, which are substantially bigger and heavier than the scanners they replace, are capable of scanning luggage in 3D and determining the density of materials including liquids. Older X-Ray machines only produce 2D images of luggage.

It meant that liquids no longer had to be removed from bags for scanning. The machines and their operatives would be able to remotely sense whether they contained explosives or not.

The UK Goverment announced a deadline of December 2022 for airports to replace their scanners with the new CT technology. This was extended to June 2024 after covid caused significant disruption and airports claimed that they couldn’t comply with the rules in time.

Teesside International Airport became the first in the UK to install the new scanners in all security lanes in January 2023. It was followed by other small airports, including London City Airport, where only a handful of scanners had to be replaced.

Larger airports struggled with the rollout. The new scanners are so heavy that it is not simply a case of swapping them out. In some cases, terminal floors had to be strengthened.

“Heathrow has more security scanners than all other UK airports combined and there were infrastructure changes that had to be implemented (like strengthening floors). We also planned the works to ensure it didn’t disrupt the live passenger operation (the past couple of years of which have been the busiest we’ve ever seen).”

Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands airports all failed to meet the revised deadline of June 2024. Heathrow has still not fully rolled out the new machines on all lanes, although it is getting there with “the vast majority of passengers using new security lanes.”

Disappointingly, the Government rushed out a new directive in June 2024 instructing all airports – including those with newly upgraded scanners – to continue enforcing the 100ml liquids rule. The rollback was rushed, with initial confusion around whether liquids could stay in bags or not (they could).

The Department of Transport claimed that the change was not due to an imminent security threat but because of concerns over the reliability of the new scanners. The EU followed suit three months later in September 2024, citing a similar “temporary technical issue” with the new scanners.

Whatever the temporary issue was, it now appears to have been solved. Without issuing a press release, the Department of Transport has informed airports that they can lift the 100ml rules once their scanners have been installed and approved.

This will be done in a piecemeal fashion, at the discretion of each airport, which will add to the confusion over the peak summer travel season.

So far, only Birmingham and Edinburgh airports have confirmed they are no longer enforcing the 100ml rule. According to Edinburgh Airport, “liquids can be left in bags and taken through security in bottles/containers of up to two litres.”

Remember that you may still be restricted on the liquids you can take on your return trip. Whilst some international airports have moved to the new scanners, including Amsterdam Schiphol, many airports still feature old X-Ray scanners and will enforce the 100ml rules on your way home.