New regulations for liquids in hand luggage are finally set to be implemented in airports across the European Union.
Under current EU rules, liquids, aerosols, and gels brought on flights in your hand luggage must be packed in containers holding no more than 100 ml. Though some exceptions are made for baby products and medicine, the limit stands because conventional X-Ray machines at airport security cannot effectively detect liquid explosives in larger quantities.
But new scanners using computer tomography (CT) can detect dangerous substances with increased accuracy. Already installed in some EU airports, including Rome, Milan, Berlin, and Amsterdam, the introduction of these advanced scanners streamlines the security process as items no longer have to be removed from hand luggage – including laptops and tablets.
With the new EU ruling to be passed in the coming weeks, this also means that passengers will now be allowed to bring wine, olive oil, and perfume in containers of up to two liters in their hand luggage.
However, upgrading to this new technology is not only comparatively expensive, it will also not be mandatory across the EU. This in turn could prove confusing for passengers departing and returning via airports with different types of scanners. In this case – carrying 2 liters would be permissible on one flight, but not on others, depending on the airport.
First reported by Il Corriere della Sera and confirmed by the European Commission, the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) has already approved the new CT-scanners. This major change in liquid regulations will be implemented at the end of July / beginning of August this year.
