Ritika Janiya
The old rule for liquids carried in hand luggage has now been reintroduced within the EU. Starting from today, passengers flying from all EU airports will once again be allowed to carry liquids only in containers of 100 milliliters each. The airports in Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway are considered EU airports for the purpose. So, if one flies to any of these places or flies out of them, remember this new restriction-more accurately, the old restriction!
What is the reason behind this return to the rule of 100ml? Let me explain in simple terms. This is despite the fact that recently some airports have been trialing new technology that was relaxing the rules on liquid amounts inside carry-on bags for passengers. It was the big decision-making group for Europe, the EU Commission, that opted at the end of July to bring it back.
Why are we going back to the old rule? Not because of some new kind of threat or danger-just because of a minor, technical glitch in the new scanning machines that were to have enabled transportation of more liquid. Those machines, called C3 scanners, have been tested in a few countries such as Germany, Ireland, and Italy. However, their performance did not live up to expectations, and that is why the EU opted to play it cautious by reverting to the 100ml limit.
You may wonder why such a rule would matter that much. Well, the traditional X-ray machines at airports aren’t exactly good for the detection of dangerous liquid explosives. That’s why there are strict rules as to how much liquid you can carry in your hand luggage to keep everybody safe. The 100ml limit keeps dangerous substances from being smuggled through security, so to say.
Now, on to the timeline. Starting today, this means flights today and over the coming days, you’re supposed to follow the rule. To those flying soon, remember each liquid item should be in a container no bigger than 100ml. In addition, all these containers must fit into a single, transparent, resealable plastic one-liter or less bag.
In fact, this rule was lifted for some periods in some places due to new C3 scanners. For example, London City Airport became one of the first ones that allowed passengers to carry up to two liters of liquid thanks to these scanners. But with these technical problems, the 100ml rule is back into action.
The UK also planned to remove the 100ml limit by June this year. However, the installation of the new scanning technology faced delays. So, airports in the UK were given an extra 12 months to get these new scanners up and running. In that time, all the major UK airports should finish the work.
What is most interesting is that this isn’t the first delay for the abolition of the 100ml rule. It was supposed to be lifted last December 2022, but already then, delays had pushed it further. It is now crystal clear that efforts to have new technology working just right are really hard work.
With this in mind, for tourists, it simply means that one may have to adjust the way one packs their luggage. Remember to check the size of your liquid containers and make sure they fit into the required plastic bag. If you are carrying things like shampoo, lotion, or any other liquids, make sure each is 100ml or smaller.
What does this mean for your next journey, then? Just another reminder of checking hand luggage before one heads to the airport. If in recent times you have been carrying more volumes of liquids, scale back to the limit of 100mls. A bit of an inconvenience it might be, but that is just how things go to keep travel safe for all people.
In short, the 100ml liquid rule is once again in place at all EU airports, as well as in Iceland, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. That was because of some technical glitches in the newer scanners, and that rule will maintain status quo until those glitches are sorted out. So now, get ready, and pack in view of your next flight. Safe travel!
