Heathrow Airport has ushered in a new era for air travel by becoming the world's largest airport to abolish the restrictive 100ml limit on liquids in hand luggage. This landmark change, implemented just before the busy half-term holiday period, follows the full installation of cutting-edge CT scanning technology across all security lanes.
A Technological Leap Forward
The airport has successfully completed the deployment of new high-tech CT (Computed Tomography) scanners, which provide security staff with highly detailed, three-dimensional images of cabin bags. This advanced imaging capability allows for a significant relaxation of the stringent rules that have governed airport security for nearly two decades.
Passengers departing from Heathrow can now carry liquid containers holding up to two litres in their hand luggage. Furthermore, the requirement to place these liquids in clear, resealable plastic bags has been completely eliminated. In another welcome convenience, electronic devices such as laptops and tablets can remain inside bags during the screening process, removing the need for separate trays.
Enhanced Efficiency and Maintained Security
Heathrow has emphasised that the new scanners are designed to process thousands of passengers per hour with "significantly greater efficiency" while upholding the airport's rigorous safety and security standards. The £1 billion package of terminal upgrades is intended to streamline the passenger experience.
"This investment means our passengers can spend less time preparing for security and more time enjoying their journey," said Heathrow's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye. The rule change currently applies only to flights departing from Heathrow. The airport strongly advises travellers to verify the specific security requirements at their destination or return airport, as regulations may differ.
Rollout Across the UK and Past Delays
Heathrow joins several other UK airports, including Gatwick, Bristol, Belfast City, Edinburgh, and Birmingham, in adopting this new technology and increasing the liquid allowance. However, the nationwide rollout has faced considerable challenges and delays over recent years.
Initial promises to scrap the 100ml rule were made as far back as 2019, with a target date set for the end of 2022. The global pandemic severely disrupted these plans. Subsequently, in December 2022, the government announced a renewed commitment, pledging that state-of-the-art scanning equipment would be installed in security lanes by June 2024, heralding it as the biggest shake-up of airport security rules in decades.
This deadline proved unattainable for the nation's largest and busiest airports, though a number of smaller regional hubs successfully implemented the systems. The Department for Transport (DfT) has acknowledged Heathrow's completion, stating the new equipment helps "ensure security checks remain robust and can be completed smoothly."
Advice for Travellers
A DfT spokesperson reiterated that while progress is being made, passengers should continue to check specific security requirements with their departure airport before travelling. The default advice remains to prepare with liquids in containers of no more than 100ml unless explicitly informed otherwise by the airport.
With this transformation, Heathrow now stands alone among the world's ten busiest airports in having removed the 100ml liquid restriction for international flights, marking a significant step towards a more convenient future for air travel.
