BRITS travelling from a major airport this summer won’t have to worry about strict liquid rules after £11million worth of investment in new technology.
Airports in the UK are set to introduce new luggage scanners that will make it much easier for travellers, who will no longer have to remove liquids and laptops from their bags.
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What’s more, they won’t be restricted to 100ml of liquids any more either, with the strict rules set to be scrapped with the introduction of the new equipment.
Bristol Airport has announced that it will be the next big transport hub in the country to ditch the rules, with its new scanners set to be up and running by June 14.
That means anyone jetting out from the airport this summer will be able to pass through more easily than before, without having to worry about tight liquid restrictions.
The airport has spent £11.5m on the new devices that were due to be implemented at every UK airport this summer.
Graeme Gamble, chief operating officer at Bristol Airport, told Bristol Live: “We are delighted all customers travelling from Bristol Airport will benefit from state-of-the-art technology being introduced at security.
“The new equipment will reduce customer stress and inconvenience as the need for 100ml liquids to be placed in clear, plastic bags and removed from hand baggage will no longer be required.
“The new process delivers a much more customer friendly security operation using the latest technology and providing enhanced screening, allowing customers to keep personal items in their hand luggage.”
Bristol follows Birmingham in the list of major UK airports to get the scanners in place, with the Midlands hub bringing theirs in earlier this week.
London Luton hopes to have them in place by the end of June as well.
However, not every UK airport will meet the deadline that was originally put in place by the Department for Transport (DfT), with some of the biggest ones in the country lagging behind.
The likes of London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester have all been given an extension until summer 2025 to make sure they have fully installed the new scanners.
Work has begun on adding the technology, but the airports haven’t been able to complete a full transfer as of yet.
Gatwick expects to have completely changed to the new scanners by the first three months of 2025, which is believed to be a similar time frame to both Stansted and Manchester.
Structural problems, and keeping security operations up and running while installing the new machines, have been the source of most of the delays.
The new liquid rules explained
The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot has explained how the new scanners will change the way Brits travel through UK airports.
She said: “The new generation of CT scanners will be a huge boost to passengers flying out of UK airports.
“Laptops and other electronic devices can stay in your luggage and there’s no need to stick to the current 100ml liquid restriction that has been in place for the last 18 years.
“You’ll be able to take up to two litres of liquids without having to remove them from your hand luggage.
“But the scanners are a huge logistical nightmare for airports who have to install the new machines while still processing large numbers of passengers via the old ones.
“But it’s worth bearing in mind that not all airports across the globe have the equipment.
“You may well be able to fly out with liquids over 100ml – but if the airport you fly home from doesn’t have them yet you could find yourself coming a cropper.
“While we transition over the next couple of years you’ll need to make sure you’re aware of the arrangements in any airport you fly through.”
The same is true for airports abroad, with few places outside of the UK as up-to-date.
That means passengers heading away this summer shouldn’t get too excited about the lack of restrictions, with tight rules still in place in other destinations.
Travel trade association ABTA has warned anyone heading abroad during that time to stick to the current 100ml rules, saying that many overseas airports also don’t have the new scanners in place.
Its message is simply to carry on “as if nothing has changed” for the time being, until more airports have the tech in place.
ABTA’s Director of Public Affairs, Luke Petherbridge, said: “The new airport scanners will make things faster and strengthen security once they’re fully implemented.
“While we have this period whereby airports are still working to implement the changes, the best thing to do is travel as if nothing has changed.”
Other UK airports to have the scanners in place include London City Airport, Teesside Airport and Aberdeen International Airport.
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