Heathrow has finally scrapped the 100ml limit on liquids in hand luggage for outbound passengers, following a £1bn upgrade to security scanners. The new CT (computed tomography) technology provides 3D images of bag contents, allowing travellers to keep liquids and electronics in their bags. Each container can now hold up to two litres.
The restrictions, in place since 2006 after a foiled transatlantic bomb plot, required passengers to place liquids in clear plastic bags and remove large devices. Heathrow’s chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, said: “Every Heathrow passenger can now leave their liquids and laptops in their bags at security as we become the largest airport in the world to roll out the latest security scanning technology.”
The rule change applies only to flights departing Heathrow. Travel experts caution that passengers should check restrictions at airports abroad before return flights, as the 100ml limit may still apply elsewhere. Heathrow estimates the new scanners will save nearly 16 million plastic bags annually.
Other UK airports, including Birmingham, Bristol, Gatwick and Edinburgh, have already installed similar scanners. However, some airports like London City, Luton and Teesside have the new technology but still enforce a 100ml limit pending regulatory approval. The original deadline for installation was December 2022, later pushed to June 2024, but the government temporarily reinstated the 100ml rule at some airports last summer.
