Ending the 100ml liquids rule will bring chaos

The much-maligned airport restriction is on the way out but it will be years before we feel the benefits, says Greg Dickinson

Far from making life easier, scrapping the 100ml liquids limit on flights has created major headaches. In December 2022, the Department for Transport gave all UK airports 18 months to install CT scanners that enable security staff to see luggage in 3D and detect explosives better. These will allow passengers to take liquids in containers bigger than 100ml (up to two litres in total) and negate the need to remove them from bags at security.

Some airports are ahead of the game. A year ago, Teesside became the first UK airport to introduce the scanners, and London City followed Most UK airports remain on track for the June 2024 deadline, but not all. The four biggest airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted – won’t complete the changeover until early 2025 at the earliest.

Why the delay? The scanners are very large, and some airports are having to reinforce floors or even expand terminals to fit them in. Nick Barton, chief executive of Birmingham Airport, said: “The existing scanner is like a large domestic washing machine. The new machines are the size of a Ford Transit.”

Airports also have to train staff how to use the equipment. This will take longer at Heathrow (with 80 million passengers a year) than at Teesside (170,000). But the biggest snag is supply. Aviation expert Sally Gethin told The Telegraph: “There are only two suppliers so there’s not much choice for airports and bottlenecks in the supply chain are emerging.”

On the face of it, the rule change is a good thing for holidaymakers. It will kill off the market for overpriced miniature toiletries. It will mean no more wasteful resealable bags and no more gulping down water at security. It should also make navigating airport security a far slicker process. City and Shannon airports have both reported a 50 per cent reduction in queuing times since introducing the scanners.

In the short term, though, we can expect confusion. Due to the staggered rollout of the scanners, the onus falls on passengers to check whether their airport has relaxed its rules or not. Some fear this could lead to hold-ups at security at bigger airports this summer.

The new scanners may also alter passenger behaviour. If you can take your cosmetics and toiletries in your carry-on bag, there will be a greater volume of cabin bags and a smaller number of checked-in luggage. This is particularly likely when checking in a suitcase on a return flight can cost anywhere from around £70 to £150.

If we see more cabin bags vying for space in overhead lockers, your cabin bag could be put in the hold at the gate, spelling an unplanned visit to the baggage carousel on arrival.

But the biggest issue is that barely any European airports have installed the scanners. And according to Damian Devlin, lecturer in aviation management at the University of East London: “Even when all UK airports have rolled out 3D scanners, the return experience will remain a patchwork of airports that have not invested in the technology, those that have, and the different local regulations governing how their enhanced capabilities are utilised.”

Amsterdam Schiphol has introduced the scanners but still recommends that liquids are put into 100ml containers to avoid confiscation. Airports rolling out the scanners include Helsinki, Rome Fiumicino, Frankfurt, Milan (Linate and Malpensa), Cork and Shannon. Dublin, Madrid Barajas, Palma de Mallorca and Barcelona El-Prat plan to follow later in the year, and Paris-Orly and Geneva have been trialling the tech in recent months. Munich, Malaga and others have 2025 or 2026 completion dates.

Eventually, we will look back on the 100ml rule as a frustrating footnote in the post 9/11 era. But, as is often the case with flying, delays are inevitable and we can expect some bumps along the way.

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j In the bag: new CT scanners at airports will end the limit on liquids beyond security but not all airports will have them