Nearly 100 items were removed from bags at Manchester Airport's terminal 2 security in a single morning this month, including a handgun-shaped whiskey decanter, two multipacks of yoghurt, and a leg massager.
Among the confiscated items were 24 packs of cosmetic products, seven drinks bottles, and seven food items, including two multipacks of yoghurts. Most failed to comply with liquid restrictions, which require anything that can be sprayed, spread, or poured at room temperature to be packed in containers with a capacity of under 100ml.
Security regulations and CAA rules
Airport security regulations are set and monitored by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). A 100ml limit for hand luggage liquids is still in place at most UK airports, while hubs including Manchester wait for CAA approval to remove these restrictions following the installation of new 3D scanning technology.
Also removed from bags were 12 pairs of scissors, seven corkscrews, four knives, six packs of tools, two loose chisels, and a pair of pliers. These items broke CAA rules prohibiting sharp objects or blades longer than 6cm (2.3in) in hand luggage.
Gun-shaped items and other prohibited objects
Another major security concern involves gun-shaped items. Anything designed to look like a firearm or that could be disguised as one cannot be carried in hand luggage, including toys that might be painted or adapted to resemble a real weapon. This resulted in 10 toy guns or items resembling firearms being confiscated, including a BB gun with two packs of ball bearings, three NERF guns, and a handgun-shaped whisky decanter set. Other confiscated items included a baseball bat and a leg massager, due to their potential use as weapons.
The airport released images of the items to remind passengers of hand luggage rules as the busy summer holiday period begins. Travellers are warned that bringing non-compliant items can cause delays for themselves and others.
Security manager's advice
Sakib Mahmood, security duty manager at Terminal 2 Manchester Airport, said: "We're looking forward to welcoming millions of passengers to Manchester Airport this summer. We're proud of the role we play in getting people's journeys off to the right start, and more than 97 per cent of our passengers are getting through security checks in under 15 minutes.
"But each time we have to pull a bag aside for a manual search it can take several minutes, and that can quickly start to add up and create delays - not just for the passenger with a non-compliant item in their hand luggage, but also for those waiting behind them in the queue. The range of items confiscated here in just a few hours shows what our security officers are up against every day – but when it comes to working out what is restricted and what is not, we know some items are more obvious than others.
"If you take a moment to reacquaint yourself with the rules before packing your hand luggage, it can save you lots of time when you get to Security – and avoids you losing items like water guns or bottles of suncream that you want to take on your holiday with you. In many cases, items like these which may fall foul of hand luggage restrictions can be taken in your hold luggage – so if in any doubt, pack the item in your suitcase rather than your carry-on bag."
Additional tips for passengers
Passengers are encouraged to be alert to items that might contain more than 100ml of liquid, such as children's squishy toys or souvenir snow globes. Liquid medications over 100ml are exempt if they have a prescription label clearly displayed, as is breast milk in containers of up to 2L.
Large electrical items no longer have to be removed from bags thanks to new 3D scanning technology installed in both Manchester Airport terminals. However, items such as belts and watches should be removed and pockets emptied before stepping through body scanners. These items should be placed inside hand luggage before placing it in the tray. Items containing lithium batteries, such as power banks, vapes, and tablet computers, must be packed in hand luggage rather than hold luggage due to fire risk. Passengers cannot fly with more than two power banks per person, and these must not be recharged in flight.
