As more people travel with hand luggage only to save money, the rule could easily be broken
Anyone who has passed through an airport in the past two decades will be familiar with the standard security rule that bans various items, including liquids that go over a certain limit. Few understand why the liquid rule was initially brought in and why it remains in force today.
With more travellers cutting holiday costs by giving up checked luggage in favour of hand luggage, the rule could be breached easily, as toiletries can push them over the liquid threshold. At plenty of airports, you cannot carry liquids in containers exceeding 100ml through security.
Some assume that the rule was introduced following the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York back in 2001. However, it didn’t actually take effect until several years afterwards.
Clarifying the rule, Chelsea Dickenson (of @Holidayexpert) said: “It actually came five years later in 2006, because the Met Police foiled a plot that could have taken place. Could have been awful.”
Following the thwarted attacks, Chelsea explained how Brits were banned from bringing hand luggage onto flights for days, adding: “You had to check everything in so that it could be properly checked.”
The blanket prohibition lasted merely a few days, between August 10 and 14. Carry-on baggage was ultimately restored to its ‘normal’ state over time, but the liquid rule remained for the following two decades.
The 100ml restriction was introduced to stop terrorists from smuggling liquid explosives aboard aircraft, concealed within everyday objects. The limitation is deliberately small enough to prevent liquid components from combining to create a large-scale, destructive explosion, while remaining manageable for security personnel, the Express reports.
The plot that was stopped would have involved terrorists travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada, with explosives disguised as soft drinks. Of those arrested and tried, seven people were found guilty of conspiracy charges.
Plans are in place to update the regulations as technology advances, but most airports continue to strictly enforce the 100ml limit. However, the rules are set to change once again.
Airports across the UK are increasingly allowing passengers to carry up to two litres of liquids in hand luggage without needing to remove them from their bags. However, these arrangements are not yet in place at all UK airports.
When is this rule changing?
For several major UK airports, the rule has already been updated, but others still need to catch up with the rollout of new scanning equipment. The 100ml rule has been scrapped at a number of airports, with passengers at Heathrow, Edinburgh, Belfast and Birmingham now able to take up to two litres of liquids through security.
These changes are due to new CT scanners that deliver more detailed imagery, but the rollout of the scanners is several years behind schedule. At certain airports, including Luton and Manchester, passengers must still adhere to the 100ml rule – although they are permitted to keep liquids in their cabin bags.
Full list of UK airports that still have the 100ml rule in place:
- Aberdeen
- Bournemouth
- Cardiff
- East Midlands
- Glasgow International
- Glasgow Prestwick
- Inverness
- Isle of Man
- Leeds Bradford
- Liverpool (John Lennon)
- London City
- London Luton
- London Stansted
- Manchester
- Newcastle
- Norwich
- Southampton
- Teesside
At the majority of airports, there’s no restriction on the number of bottles you can bring with you – regardless of whether the 100ml rule is enforced or not. But, it is best to check the airport’s website for the current rules.
