Some safety rules for liquids and items like laptops in airport carry-on luggage will be dropped in 2024.
The government has set a June 2024 deadline for most UK airports to install new high-tech 3D scanners, which show more detailed images of baggage.
The changes will see the 100ml liquid rule increased to two liters and mean passengers won’t need to remove electrical items from bags at security.
A previous installation deadline was postponed due to the pandemic.
Passengers are currently required to remove items such as tablets, laptops and liquids from their carry-on luggage for screening at airport security checks.
Liquids such as sunscreen, shampoo, or toothpaste must be 100 ml or less and must be in a clear plastic bag.
The limits have been in place since November 2006 and their introduction marked the end of a ban on liquids in the cabin imposed three months earlier, when British police said they foiled a plot to blow up up to 10 planes using explosives hidden in drinks. bottles.
The government has said its requirement that airports upgrade screening equipment to the type similar to the CT scanners used in hospitals will mean that eventually the rules on electrical items could be lifted and the liquid limit could be extended to two litres.
With the legislation being implemented across the country over the next two years, the current rules will still apply at airports that do not use the technology. Passengers are advised to check this before travelling.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the new technology would reduce queuing times to improve the “passenger experience and, most importantly, detect potential threats”.
Airport passengers face ‘unacceptable’ queues
Airport technology helping to avoid delayed flights.
Christopher Snelling, director of policy at the Airport Operators Association, which represents UK airports, added that the investment was a “huge step forward for UK air travel, matching best-in-class worldwide”. .
“It will make traveling through UK airports easier and air travel more enjoyable,” he added.
The technology has already been in use at US airports, such as Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and Chicago’s O’Hare, for several years.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to use scanning technology to speed up pre-boarding checks and improve security, giving UK airports a deadline of the end of 2022.
But passenger numbers took a hit during the height of the Covid pandemic, with travel restrictions in much of the world.
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