For years, travelers have been used to liquids restrictions when traveling by air, whereby you can only take liquids in containers of up to 100ml (3.4 ounces) in a carry-on through security. Fortunately we’re slowly starting to see this change in some places. However, there has just been an unusual setback regarding that in the UK.
UK backtracks on security liquids rules
The UK is the biggest aviation market that’s actively working toward lifting the liquids restrictions. Airports around the UK are getting new security scanners, and as they’re installed, the things travelers can take through security are also changing. It’s possible to take liquids of up to two liters through security, and to leave electronics in bags.
While all UK airports should have this by some point in 2025, we’ve already seen the liquids restrictions lifted at airports that have these scanners, including London City Airport (LCY), London Southend Airport (SEN), Newcastle Airport (NCL), and more. Heck, since the British Airways First Wing at Heathrow Terminal 5 has the new scanners, it has also been possible to take larger liquids through there, but not through most other checkpoints at the airport.
But now there has been a sudden odd reversal in this policy. The UK’s Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that liquids restrictions are being “temporarily reintroduced” as of 12:01AM on Sunday, June 9, 2024. There’s no indication as to how temporary this policy change is.
What are we supposed to make of this?
The government’s explanation for this policy change is strange. Here’s how the Department for Transport describes this in a statement:
“This temporary move is to enable further improvements to be made to the new checkpoint systems and will only affect a small number of passengers. For most passengers, security measures will remain unchanged.”
That… doesn’t actually say a whole lot? Liquids restrictions are being reintroduced so that improvements can be made to checkpoint systems? What exactly does that mean?
Obviously the government doesn’t want to reveal more, so all we can do is speculate. Have restrictions been lifted due to confusion among passengers over the inconsistency between airports? Was some new security vulnerability discovered?
Bottom line
The UK has progressively been lifting liquids restrictions at airports, as new security scanners are installed. This means that at select airports in the UK, passengers have been able to pass through security with liquids of up to two liters, rather than only liquids of up to 100ml.
However, that policy is being reversed as of this weekend, in something that’s being described as a “temporary move.” The government simply states that this change is being made to enable further improvements, though that doesn’t exactly say a whole lot.
We’ll see how temporary this ends up being. I wouldn’t be surprised if we now just see restrictions lifted at all airports at the same time, at some point in 2025 (assuming the timeline doesn’t slip further).
What do you make of the UK updating its liquids restrictions?
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