Other than passport control, security checks are probably the number one reason why airports are so stressful to navigate, especially those with ultra-strict scanning and unfriendly staff.
We’ve all been there at one point:
Your flight leaves in under an hour, there’s a snaking line at security, and everyone ahead of you seems to be taking their sweet time getting their toiletries out, sorting out containers well above the liquid limit they know will get tossed anyway, and just being absolute slowpokes about it.
It took us 20 years to get to this point, but it seems the good old days of just whooshing past the CT scanners, with nothing but a quick acknowledgement nod at the guy in charge, are making a comeback.
Well, we’re not sure if overly-cautious airports like Charles de Gaulle and Madrid Barajas have got the memo, but Europe’s busiest airport, and the one that started this nightmare in the first place, is officially ditching the 100ml liquid rules:
No More Liquid Limits At London Heathrow
No beating around the bush, Britain’s largest airport Heathrow (LHR) will now allow travelers to leave liquids in containers of up to two liters in their bags while passing security.
London’s main airport, Heathrow, is the busiest in the United Kingdom, handling over 84 million passengers annually. It seems everybody wants to go to London these days, and listen, we get it: there’s something about afternoon tea and double-decker bus rides that just speaks to your soul.
It’s no wonder that, in Europe, Heathrow competes toe-to-toe with Paris’ Charles de Gaulle, whereas worldwide, it features at number 10 for most traveled-through airports. In other words, this is big news for travelers.
Even if you’re not traveling directly to the U.K., given Heathrow’s global standing as a transit hub, chances are you will touch down in one of its buzzing terminals at some point, even if just for a short layover.
So why the change of heart, and how will Heathrow ensure air travel security remains tight, especially in the midst of rising global tensions?
Behold Heathrow’s New State-Of-The-Art CT Scanners
A few years ago, we reported on the fact that the U.K. as a whole was moving to scrap the 100ml liquid limit.
While some minor airports had already successfully transitioned, for some reason, Heathrow had yet to complete the rollout of new, revolutionary CT scanners, so powerful and thorough that they can probably see through to your soul.
Well, folks, we’re glad to report the U.K.-wide rollout is close to being completed, and in any case, Heathrow has now gone full high-tech, and not only have liquid limits increased significantly, but even electronics can also be left in luggage.
This means you’ll no longer have to waste several long, precious minutes in line unpacking and packing when you could be browsing the duty-free shops or swinging by Wagamama’s for a quick sushi stop before boarding your flight.
In sum:
- Liquids held in containers of up to 2 liters are now permitted—100ml rule fully scrapped
- Liquids do not need to be placed in clear plastic bags, either
- Laptops, iPads, smartphones ,and watches, and other electronic devices don’t need to be placed in a separate tray as you go through security
What can we say?
The era of arbitrary confiscations is over, and you can bet the uniformed, grumpy-looking, big-for-no-reason Mark standing guard over the rollers is not at all happy about this development.
In Science We Trust
The new Ct scanners are absolute game-changers when it comes to airport management.
Unlike the typical, manually-conducted 2D X-rays we’ve been used to before, these babies generate detailed 3D images by rotating X-ray sources around bags. Like, you know, your usual medical CT, with the exact same precision.
If they can find elusive tumors lurking behind vital organs, they sure can spot funky substances when programmed to do so.
Besides Heathrow, other U.K. airports have also employed the new technology and got rid of the 20-year-long liquid ordeal: these include London’s second-busiest airport, Gatwick (LGW), Edinburgh Airport (EDI), which serves the capital of Scotland, and Birmingham (BHX).
Bristol (BRS) and both Belfast airports, Belfast International (BFS) and Belfast City Airport (BHD) have also moved to lift liquid restrictions.
Even if they haven’t fully implemented the change, most U.K. airports now already allow travelers to keep liquid containers of up to 100ml in their luggage.
Heathrow officials have stated the scanners could service ‘thousands of passengers an hour with significantly greater efficiency‘, without lowering safety standards. We’re no experts in CT scans myself, so we’ll leave it to the big brains in the room, but hey, in science we trust.
This time.
Other European Airports That Have Lifted The Liquid Limit
- Berlin Brandenburg (BER)—fully implemented
- Frankfurt (FRA)—multiple checkpoints
- Munich (MUC)—partially implemented, currently expanding
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO)—fully implemented, though temporary suspensions have been reported
- Milan Malpensa (MXP)—fully implemented, though temporary suspensions have been reported
- Milan Linate (LIN)—fully implemented, though temporary suspensions have been reported
- Zurich (ZHR)—currently implementing
Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) had temporarily lifted liquid rules, but these were reinstated on September 1, 2024 due to regulatory issues.
For now, you must still respect the 100ml limit traveling to and from Amsterdam, though removing containers from your bag is not required.
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