Great Britain raises 100ml limit: new rules for travelers!

Great Britain raises 100ml limit: new rules for travelers!

Vienna, Österreich - At the British airports Edinburgh and Birmingham, the 100ml limit for liquids in hand luggage, which has been in force for 19 years, was lifted. Travelers can now take liquid containers of up to two liters with them without having to pack them in plastic bags. This regulation came into force after a long process of security checks, which is due to the thwarted attempt to stop in 2006. The decisive technology that makes this loosening possible are modern computer tomography (CT) scanner, which enable a more precise analysis of the luggage and make the laptops or liquids taken from the luggage.

The British government has thus taken an important step towards faster security controls. However, travelers should be careful because not all airports in the UK have been converted to this new technology. According to current information, airports such as Bristol, London City and Newcastle will also strive for similar changes. In large and strongly frequented airports such as London Heathrow and Manchester, on the other hand, the old technology remains in operation due to structural measures or missing approvals. Travelers should therefore find out about the safety requirements of the respective airport before they leave, especially if they fly back from an airport that may not be equipped with the new technology.

New security procedure at British airports

A total of nine British airports, including London Gatwick, have already converted to the new CT scanners in order to enable passengers faster security controls. This technology allows travelers to leave liquids and large electronic devices in their luggage, which significantly accelerates the process on security controls.

The British government originally sought that all airports are equipped with the new scanners by June 2024. However, this period was extended to June 2025 because many airports could not meet the requirements. A spokesman for the Ministry of Transport emphasized that Great Britain has one of the world's most robust air safety regimes and thus the safety of travelers first.

EU rules in contrast to Great Britain

In the European Union, stricter safety regulations for liquids in hand luggage apply again in the European Union from September 1, 2024. Then passengers are only allowed to take liquids in containers up to a maximum of 100 milliliters, which must be packed in a transparent plastic bag with a maximum volume of one liter. This measure was decided because doubts about the reliability of new luggage scanners that are also based on CT technology.

Some EU airports, such as in Rome and Amsterdam, have already put the new scanner into operation to relax the regulations, while most airports are not yet available. These differences in the security regulations between the EU and Great Britain could present travelers in the future if they travel between these regions.