Monday, June 17, 2024 This weekend, Birmingham Airport experienced significant delays as passengers grappled with confusion over the longstanding 100ml liquid limit in hand luggage. Social media was flooded with images of extensive queues, stretching outside the terminal as early as 5 am, and reports of up to two-hour waits to clear security. These disruptions follow closely on the heels of new, albeit inconsistently applied, rules regarding liquid limits in hand luggage.
Several UK airports were set to raise the limit from 100ml to two liters with the implementation of advanced scanning technology. However, delays in installing these scanners have caused considerable uncertainty and frustration among travelers. Originally, the UK government approved select airports to increase the liquid limit to two liters, contingent on the installation of new Computed Tomography (CT) scanners.
This advanced technology was expected to be operational by June 1, allowing passengers at these airports to bypass the restrictive 100ml rule. However, major hubs like Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester have encountered logistical challenges that delayed the deployment of these scanners. As a result, many airports continue to enforce the 100ml limit, despite initially planning to lift it.
Conversely, a few airports that successfully installed the new technology had already raised the limit, adding to the overall confusion. In a sudden reversal, the UK’s Department for Transport announced that the 1.
