As we outlined last week, the Department for Transport has now confirmed that the rules about taking liquids and electronic equipment in hand luggage are to change in the summer of 2024.
We have grown accustomed to travelling with little liquid in our hand luggage, a maximum of 10 100ml bottles in a clear sandwich bag. Given the push to omit the use of single-use plastic, it must be a large number of these used alone for travel. Along with this, we also needed to separate our luggage, taking out the liquid and large electronic equipment such as iPads and computers to put through the airport scanners.
The government has outlined that it’s giving ‘major airports’ two years to introduce new scanners, which will be aimed at improving the experience for travellers at airports by reducing queues, and be more convenient. You’ll no longer need to take anything out of your bag, as the new scanners which are to be introduced will provide more detail for security staff, and although it might sound odd compared to the system we have at the moment, more secure.
When specifically acknowledging the change in liquids rules, the government hasn’t confirmed this will be introduced at the same time, indicating ‘this requirement will eventually be lifted, and the 100ml liquid container limit will be extended to 2 litres’. Until advised, the government has stressed that everyone should follow the existing rules.
Crucially, we have little detail on what the situation is abroad – as in most cases there is little point in taking a 2-litre bottle in your hand luggage outbound, if you can’t bring it home. We know other airports around Europe already have the technology including Amsterdam, which could be the reason for separating the implementation of the rule, and when the scanners are introduced. We also don’t know the definition of ‘major airport’, and whether smaller
