Recently, we saw the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) update its policy on passengers wearing shoes. Specifically, the TSA is no longer requiring passengers to remove their shoes, including for those passengers without TSA PreCheck.
Arguably one of the other pain points of the security experience when flying involves limits on the liquids you can carry onboard aircraft. As other countries increasingly move toward easing those restrictions, could that also be the case in the United States?
In this post:
The TSA was planning on maintaining liquids restrictions
If you’ve traveled within the United States, you’re probably familiar with the “3-1-1” rule from the TSA, whereby passengers are limited in terms of the number of liquids, gels, and aerosols, that they can take in their carry-on bags. Each passenger can take up to one quart-size bag of these items, with no liquids being in containers of more than 3.4 ounces (or 100 milliliters).
These restrictions have been in place since 2006, and while they were initially described as temporary, they’re still in place, nearly 20 years later.
In some parts of the world, we’re slowly seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. For example, the UK is planning on lifting current liquids restrictions in the not-too-distant future, coinciding with the full rollout of new security scanners.
Roughly a year ago, a TSA spokesperson claimed that we shouldn’t expect the same in the United States, claiming that liquids restrictions would likely remain in place until 2040, coinciding with the full rollout of new scanners:
“TSA is still deploying Computed Tomography (CT) units that are capable of screening larger sizes of liquids, however the agency will not be able to change the current 3-1-1 liquids rule for some time to come, because there are about 2,000 screening lanes in about 430 airports. We are anticipating that it may not be until 2040 that we have CT units fully deployed across the nation and have the capability of changing the requirement across the system.”
So yeah, according to that, the liquids restrictions may eventually be lifted, but it would be another 15 years or so until new scanners are rolled out nationwide. I of course get that the US has so many airports and that replacing all of the scanners takes a lot of time, but that seems like an especially long timeline.
Government now considering lifting liquids restrictions
It would appear that the recent change in policies for wearing shoes at security was driven from higher up, by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. With a new administration in office, what does that mean for traveling with liquids?
Well, in a recent interview, Noem said “the day I walked in the door, I started questioning everything TSA does,” adding that “I will tell you, I mean, the liquids I am questioning.” She stated that “maybe the next big announcement is what size your liquids need to be,” and that they’re “looking at it.”
So, we’ll see if anything comes of this, but it certainly sounds like the Trump administration wants to make changes there…
Bottom line
As of last year, the TSA was planning on maintaining its current liquids restrictions for carry-on bags until 2040, coinciding with the rollout of new scanners. However, with a new administration being in office, it seems that they’re looking at lifting these restrictions sooner.
Just as we’ve seen restrictions on taking off shoes eliminated, maybe we’ll also see changes to the liquids policy. The Homeland Security Secretary is suggesting this might be the next big announcement, so let’s see how this plays out.
What do you make of the TSA potentially easing liquids restrictions?
Ha! The bottled water cartel must not be paying their contribution this administration in a timely manner, so this is their comeuppance. I hope the change does happen!
I have to say I was surprised that only shortly after bombing Iran and with all the turmoil in the Middle East (yet more today) I am surprised that now is a good time to relax some of the security standards. Not sure we are in good hands.
Am I the only one who giggles every time he sees the photo of this machine and its name?
OH NOT AT ALL !!! LOL
I can't help thinking it's a "probe chamber" based on alien technology ;-).
Not at all!!
THANK YOU PRESIDENT TRUMP! Brining sanity back to America.
No thanks to the Orangeman
Like or hate Trump, this move may make America great again.
There should be consideration of whether there is such thing as a non-toxic explosive. If there is no such thing, then water should be allowed. The test of whether it is explosive or not would be that the passenger would be required to take a sip of it at the checkpoint.
Allowing drinking water but no other liquids greater than 100 ml would be a step to make America great again.
I'm indifferent to President Trump. Can't see how this one move will "make America great again"
when, please, did America loose it's greatness ? you folks can never answer this one.
I can. When individual and corporate greed shipped manufacturing overseas. When our government made it financially beneficial for people to stay at home versus going to work. When politicians made it acceptable to perform criminal activities and blame the victims. When our education system fell to one of the lowest in the industrialized world. When we bankrupted our country, but continuing to spend more than we have. And most importantly when we allowed media and...
I can. When individual and corporate greed shipped manufacturing overseas. When our government made it financially beneficial for people to stay at home versus going to work. When politicians made it acceptable to perform criminal activities and blame the victims. When our education system fell to one of the lowest in the industrialized world. When we bankrupted our country, but continuing to spend more than we have. And most importantly when we allowed media and politicians to say that you were only wrong or right, depending on which side you are on and convincing us that there’s no purpose in having a conversation to understand differences.
Parts of Europe are already great again. Some airports like Edinburgh with new scanners let you breeze through with liquids. In practice as long as you don't get stopped to open your bag for other reasons they don't care if you pack slightly larger liquids ibecause you don't even take liquids out for scanning at other airports. Most countries on the continent haven't made you take off footwear for years.
I can carry a bunch of 3oz liquids and a large empty bottle. I can't dump all of those liquids into the empty bottle before going through TSA security, but I can after. Makes total sense.
I'll believe it when I see it. Seeing how the whole TSA was supposed to end in 2008. It's just a government work program that gives the illusion of security.
This is the only thing I've agreed with the Trump administration about
I'm sure I'm pronouncing the name of that scanner wrong, but since it's TSA, I think "anal-logic" fits. That entire org has gotten their logic from within a very dark place since its inception.
even without the new x-ray machines, there are fast ways to determine if liquids are safe.
The reality is that, properly deployed in sufficient numbers, those machines do increase security while increasing throughput at checkpoints.
One of the faster ways for the administration to win favor w/ all travelers is to fix things "that have always been done that way"
Fingers crossed they do end the restrictions. I won't need to check my bag just for sunscreen anymore.
In other news (off-topic), Aegean is launching flights to India with two new A321XLRs in March 2026!
And Garuda is about to buy a ton of Boeings!
London Gatwick (LGW) has now removed the liquid rule. Passengers can now travel with liquids up to 2 litres in their hand luggage
Heyy!!!!!
You can't call Gatwick, London. A British maniac would say it's not in London, other numpty would show their ignorance by attempting to call him out about the location of West Sussex airport.
He claims that "L"GW designated London to fool the colonialists like you who know no better.
And don't forget SkyTrax is legit, and none of you ever set foot on a BA plane or even fly internationally.
"British maniac"
Psst... The word is Anglophile, doc!
Can't end soon enough. Although Australia has no such program as Precheck the Security process on a busy morning took all of three minutes when I flew out of SYD this week.
Probably one of the only things I will give this administration credit for. The liquids rule didn't make sense then, and it doesn't now. Of course, the US isn't that anal in enforcement as countries like Britain were up until recently. But it's time for it to be sunsetted. Much of the aviation security apparatus has remained stuck in the early 2000s George Bush mentality. It made sense then, when the threat of terrorism was...
Probably one of the only things I will give this administration credit for. The liquids rule didn't make sense then, and it doesn't now. Of course, the US isn't that anal in enforcement as countries like Britain were up until recently. But it's time for it to be sunsetted. Much of the aviation security apparatus has remained stuck in the early 2000s George Bush mentality. It made sense then, when the threat of terrorism was looming large everywhere, and hence aviation being most at risk. But at a time where we have cyber attacks, geopolitical challenges from Russia, China, etc., as well as plane crashes, focusing on isolated incidents almost 20 odd years back doesn't help.
As I've said previously in another thread, I feel like it's more of a commercial decision as businesses airside would be afraid to lose business if passengers bring in their own water bottles/coffee/whatever through security.
Here's a list of rules that I feel didn't make sense:
-Taking off your shoes
-Liquids
-Even laptops don't make sense with all this tech being used
-Not able to congregate in aisles or galleys due...
As I've said previously in another thread, I feel like it's more of a commercial decision as businesses airside would be afraid to lose business if passengers bring in their own water bottles/coffee/whatever through security.
Here's a list of rules that I feel didn't make sense:
-Taking off your shoes
-Liquids
-Even laptops don't make sense with all this tech being used
-Not able to congregate in aisles or galleys due to "FAA/TSA regulations"
-Secondary security check on U.S. bound flights. Not even water bottles!
lol that's trump - one right move, two dozen wrong moves