The end of the 100ml liquids rule at UK airports has been a chaotic saga of delays, unmet deadlines and now, U-turns. If you’ve no idea what we’re on about, let us get you up to speed.
Back in 2018, it was announced that swanky new security scanners would be introduced to all airports across the country. Not only would more advanced 3D X-ray scanners make the whole security process much quicker and smoother, they would no longer put a limit on how much liquid we can take in our hand luggage or require us to remove laptops and tablets.
The original deadline for the tech to be installed was supposed to be this month (June 2024), but very few airports actually managed to meet it. Of the ones that did get the machines installed in time, six have now had to do a 180 and temporarily brought the strict liquid limit back.
Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, London City, Aberdeen, Southend and Teesside all had the new scanners installed and ready to go, but the Department for Transport has asked that the 100ml be kept in place for now. Apparently there are still some changes that need to be made to the machines.
A spokesperson for the DfT said that the rule reversal will ‘enable further improvements to be made to the new checkpoint systems’.
Mark Harper, the UK's transport secretary, told BBC Breakfast that it is a ‘temporary measure’ and that the changes will be brought back ‘in due course’.
Birmingham Airport also has the upgraded equipment but has kept the 100ml container limit. The only difference is that Brum no longer requires travellers to remove the liquid from their luggage.
The long and short of it? For now, go to the airport prepped with a clear bag and mini bottles of toiletries, exactly as we’ve all been doing for the last 18 years.
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