UK tourists face travel confusion as airport delay means 100ml liquid rules continue

Sign as much as Simon Calder’s free travel e-mail for knowledgeable recommendation and money-saving reductions

Get Simon Calder’s Travel e-mail

Holidaymakers might face confusion when jetting off this summer time after the UK’s busiest airports admitted that they’ll miss the deadline for putting in new safety scanners that may finish the necessity for a 100ml restrict on liquids.

The Department for Transport (DfT) set the June 2024 goal on the finish of 2022, with the transport secretary on the time, Mark Harper, pledging to raise the necessity for the “tiny toiletry”, which he stated had grow to be a staple of airport safety checkpoints.

However, London Heathrow, London Gatwick and Manchester airports look set to overlook the deadline, experiences BBC News.

This will imply that whereas some new scanners will likely be in place, different lanes will likely be working the present scanners, that means 100ml limits to carry-on liquids will nonetheless apply – which might result in confusion and travellers being caught out by the inconsistency, based on one shopper group.

Read extra: Simon Calder on airport safety: What are the rules for liquids?

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel, stated: “It’s very disappointing that some airports might miss the federal government deadline to put in new CT safety scanners by June this yr. By permitting passengers to maintain gadgets like laptops and liquids of their baggage, these scanners had the potential to drastically lower safety queues in time for the height summer time travel season.

“With totally different rules and processes now prone to apply at totally different airports, it’s important passengers examine earlier than they travel so that they don’t get caught out. Unfortunately, the shortage of consistency is prone to be complicated for lots of travellers – and should result in additional maintain ups.”

The delays could be down to the weight of the scanners, as well as the cost, according to aviation expert Sally Gethin.

She told BBC News that “sometimes the floors in the actual terminal have to be reinforced” and that the price is high as “it’s the latest technology”.

Heathrow has 146 security lanes, more than all the other UK airports combined, meaning the installation is a complex operation – especially when taking steps to avoid disruptions to current passengers making their way through security.

Some of Heathrow’s terminals – T2, T3 and T5 – already have some new scanners, with T4 expected to have some by the summer. The UK’s largest airport declined to comment when approached by The Independent.

A spokesperson for London Gatwick said the airport will “have made significant progress installing state of the art next generation security scanners by June 2024 in both terminals”, and that they plan to “have completed the major logistical operation required to install the remaining scanners in Q1 2025, after the busy summer peak period has concluded.”

MAG, which operates Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports, advised The Independent that the brand new scanners will likely be in place on “a large number of our security lanes by June 2024”, with completion of the programme anticipated in 2025.

“This is a complex programme of work requiring the expansion of terminal facilities, while at the same time maintaining operations during construction,” a spokesperson added.

“We are currently rolling out the new technology lane-by-lane at Manchester and London Stansted airports, with several new lanes already in operation. Work is also underway on major construction projects at both Manchester and East Midlands airports to expand the size of the terminals to accommodate the new equipment.”

The DfT has been approached for remark.

The present 100ml restrictions on liquids have been in place since November 2006. The rules have been introduction after a earlier full ban on liquids within the cabin was enforced three months earlier resulting from a foiled terror assault wherein liquid explosives hidden in drinks bottles might have introduced down 10 planes.