The largest airport in Europe allows passengers to carry significantly more liquids

One of the most restrictive rules for airline passengers in Europe is beginning to fade away. The largest aviation hub on the continent has allowed passengers to carry significantly larger volumes of liquids in their hand luggage than before. The decision aims to simplify security checks and reduce queues, especially during peak hours. This is reported by Visit Ukraine.

Heathrow allows more liquids in hand luggage

This pertains to London Heathrow Airport, which has officially eased restrictions on carrying liquids that have been in place for over 20 years. From now on, passengers passing through security at Heathrow are allowed:

• to carry containers with liquids of up to 2 liters instead of the 100 ml limit

• to take water, drinks, and other liquids brought from home or purchased outside the airport

• not to transfer liquids into special transparent bags with strict volume limits

Moreover, during screening, there is no longer a need to take out bottles with liquids and electronic devices from bags, as the checks are conducted automatically.

New security technologies replaced outdated restrictions

The easing of restrictions has become possible thanks to a massive technological upgrade of security systems. Heathrow management has invested about £1 billion in installing next-generation scanners for checking hand luggage.

The new systems allow for detailed analysis of bag contents without physical inspection, enabling more accurate detection of hazardous substances and automatic checking of liquids and electronics. As a result, the control process has become faster and more comfortable for passengers.

Restrictions on carrying liquids in hand luggage were introduced in 2006 following the uncovering of a terrorist plot in the United Kingdom. At that time, the 100 ml rule became the standard for most European airports, but over time it was increasingly referred to as outdated and inconvenient.

Recall that a year ago, London Heathrow Airport temporarily suspended its operations due to a significant power outage. The outages were caused by a fire at a nearby electricity substation.