All 9 UK airports that have scrapped strict hand luggage rule – is there one near you?
IF you’re flying from one one of these nine UK airports this summer, you can now breeze through security without digging out your liquids or electronics.
Nigh high-tech scanners have been rolled out at a growing number of UK airport, allowing passengers to keep liquids and laptops in their bags at security.
It’s part of a long-awaited upgrade aimed at speeding up queues and ditching the dreaded plastic bag routine.
Here are the nine airports that have made the change so far:
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- Gatwick
- Leeds Bradford
- Luton
- Newcastle
- Southend
- Teesside
At these airports, passengers no longer need to unpack electronics or place toiletries in a clear bag when passing through scanners.
However, the old 100ml limit on liquids is still in place, at least for now.
Gatwick, which upgraded all 19 of its security lanes at the end of Match, says more than 95 per cent of passengers are already getting through security in under five minutes.
The UK government had aimed to roll out the new CT scanners nationwide by summer 2024, but delays hit bigger airports like Heathrow and Manchester.
Even some smaller airports that made the switch were told to temporarily bring back the old rules due to scanner issues.
Some scanners couldn’t accurately measure the volume of liquids inside bags, forcing staff to carry out more manual checks, causing the very delays they were meant to fix.
As a result there’s now a patchwork of rules across the country.
Some airports are fully upgraded, others are part-way there, and some are still operating under the same restrictions brought in nearly 20 years ago.
If you’re flying from one of the nine upgraded airports, you no longer need to remove items from your hand luggage at security.
But for now, liquids must still be in containers of 100ml or less.
At all other airports, you’ll need to follow the usual rules: one clear, resealable plastic bag (about 20cm x 20cm), with containers of 100ml or less, and everything removed from your bag before scanning.
Medical items, baby food and dietary needs are still allowed as exceptions – but check in advance with your airline or airport.
Eventually, the plan is to scrap the 100ml liquid rule completely – allowing travellers to carry up to 2 litres of liquids in their hand luggage with no restrictions.
But after the rollout setbacks, there’s no clear date for when that will actually happen.
Until then, check your airport’s rules before you pack – and don’t assume what worked last time will still apply.
Airports that still require you to remove liquids
- Aberdeen
- Bournemouth
- Cardiff
- East Midlands
- Glasgow
- Glasgow Prestwick
- Heathrow
- Inverness
- Isle of Man
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Newquay
- Norwich
- Southampton
- Stansted