With the summer holiday season in full swing, many holidaymakers will be jetting off to sunny destinations this month. But, it's important to be aware of some of the changes when it comes to packing liquids in hand luggage.
If you regularly travel by plane, you'll know how time-consuming it is to decant the likes of shampoo into tiny bottles, before meticulously checking the rest of your liquids are under the 100ml limit.
Then there's the fitting the bottles into a clear plastic bag and hoping you've not overfilled it.
The restrictions, which limit passengers to bringing liquids in containers no bigger than 100ml and placing them inside a clear plastic bag, came into place back in 2006, but thanks to new 3D scanning technology, some UK airports have started ditching the 100ml liquid rule.
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It's all thanks to new scanners that provide more detailed images inside bags, meaning travellers can keep liquids in their bags during security checks. For example, over on the London Gatwick website, they now state: "Liquids can now be brought through security in containers of up to two litres, provided they are not in metal or double walled containers, these still need to be emptied prior to going through security. All other liquids can stay inside your hand luggage when passing through security. These toiletries include creams, gels, pastes, sprays and aerosols."
The UK airports that do not have the 100ml liquid rule in place are:
- Belfast International
- Belfast City
- Birmingham
- Bournemouth
- Bristol
- Edinburgh
- London Gatwick
- London Heathrow
Meanwhile, the UK airports that still have the 100ml liquids rule include:
- Aberdeen
- Bournemouth
- Cardiff
- East Midlands
- Glasgow International
- Glasgow Prestwick
- Inverness
- Isle of Man
- Leeds Bradford
- Liverpool
- London City
- London Stansted
- London Luton
- Manchester
- Newcastle
- Norwich
- Southampton
- Teesside
It's vital to ensure you know exactly which rules are in place at your airport - and the airport you are flying back from - before you travel.
The Foreign Office explain that 'at most airports, you cannot take liquids in containers larger than 100ml through security. This still applies if the container is only part full.
Some airports may allow you to take liquid in containers that hold up to 2 litres of liquid.'
They explain that 'liquids' are classed as:
- all drinks, including water
- liquid or semi-liquid foods, for example soup, jam, honey and syrups
- cosmetics and toiletries, including creams, lotions, oils, perfumes, mascara and lip gloss
- sprays, including shaving foam, hairspray and spray deodorants
- pastes, including toothpaste
- gels, including hair and shower gel
- contact lens solution
- any other solutions and items of similar consistency
Lucy Devine