Hand luggage warning to holidaymakers travelling through UK airports as passenger numbers surge
HOLIDAYMAKERS in the UK are being warned over hand luggage rules ahead of the half-term holidays.
New CT scanners are being installed at airports across the country, which will let passengers skip the 100ml liquid rules.
Despite the June 1 deadline, which was set by the government, UK airports are installing the new scanners at different times, which is causing confusion among holidaymakers.
Last month, Birmingham Airport, which is set to meet the government-mandated deadline revealed how thousands of Brits were being caught out by the rule change.
As many as 15 per cent of passengers had their carry-on bags rejected at security because they thought the 100ml liquid rule had already been ditched at the airport.
Having carry-on bags rejected can cause queues and delays at security.
In a bid to avoid further delays at the security gate during the May half-term holidays, Brits are being adhere to the current hand luggage guidelines by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
The current 100ml liquid regulations were initially brought in as a temporary measure back in 2006 and have remained in place ever since, which means they should be familiar to most Brits.
With the June 1 deadline coming into force at the end of the May half-term, ABTA is urging holidaymakers to stick to the current hand luggage rules, which includes ensuring liquids are under 100ml and placed inside a sealed plastic bag.
Brits will also need to remove electronic items like laptops and tablets from their bags as they move through security.
Luke Petherbridge, who is the Director of Public Affairs at ABTA, said: “To help everyone enjoy a stress-free experience this half-term, our message is simple – you can’t go wrong if you stick to the current rules around liquids and laptops when preparing your hand luggage.
“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.”
Hand Luggage rules at UK airports explained
Going through airport security can be a stressful experience, so it's important to be aware of strict hand luggage rules before you travel. Most UK airports will be implementing the following rules:
- All liquid items packed in a passenger’s hand luggage must be less than 100ml
- Liquids include items like gels, aerosols, moisturisers, sunscreen and makeup products
- All liquid items must fit into a 20cm x 20cm sealed plastic bag, before they go through the scanner at airport security
- Electronic items like laptops and tablets must be removed from bags and placed in a separate tray.
New CT scanners have already been installed at Teesside Airport, London City Airport and Aberdeen Airport, which means holidaymakers will be able to pack two litres of liquid in their hand luggage.
What are the new scanners?
The new technology is slowly being introduced at airports across the country, which is set to make the 100ml liquid rule a thing of the past.
Items of hand luggage will pass through the new CT scanners, allowing airport security to inspect bags from a 3D image – a vast improvement on the 2D images that are currently used.
The new CT scanners will increase the liquid allowance to two litres, and laptops and electronic items won’t need to be removed from hand luggage either, which will speed up the whole security process.
When will they come into force?
Last year, the Department of Transport implemented a deadline of June 2024 for airports to have the new scanners in place.
The new scanners are already operational at Teesside Airport, London City Airport and Aberdeen Airport.
Other airports like Liverpool, Bristol and Birmingham are all expected to hit the June 1 deadline – although the new scanners aren’t currently in operation at these airports.
Larger airports like London Heathrow and London Gatwick are expected to miss the June deadline, with both airports being granted extensions by the government.
The 100ml liquid will remain in place in airports across Europe after June 1, 2024, which means Brits will have to check the hand luggage rules for any return flights.
Airports mistakes
Taking too many liquid items is one big mistake that people make at airports, but there are plenty of others.
Belts and shoes
Wearing complicated clothes, including belts and shoes, always slows people down.
Passengers dress forgetting that those items need to be removed and scanned, which not only holds them up, but everyone else behind them.
People are advised to dress with airport security in mind to speed things up.
Using airport screens
Relying on screens for information in the airport is not advised, according to flight attendants.
It turns out that the screens are updated later than other places and checking online is a much more reliable way to get details about your flight.
Hand luggage rules for UK airlines
We’ve rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when booking their most basic fare.
Ryanair
One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
EasyJet
One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm
Jet2
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg
TUI
One personal item that its underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg
British Airways
One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg
Virgin Atlantic
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
Meanwhile, a popular UK high street chain has started selling this popular hand luggage bag that fits Ryanair cabins.
And these are the rules around bringing food through airport security.