The UK Department for Transport has announced that it will temporarily reintroduce restrictions on carry-on liquids over 100ml at six regional airports in England.
The changes will come into effect at midnight on Sunday and will affect passengers departing from London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Southend and Teesside airports.
The rule was made possible by the fact that all airports are now running Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSCs), which use high-tech CT scanners to create 3D images of the contents of passengers’ luggage.
Transport Minister Mark Harper said air passengers should “check with the airport to see what the rules are” about carrying liquids over 100ml amid confusion over the limits.
He told BBC Breakfast on Saturday: “This announcement, which comes into effect at midnight tonight, will actually only affect six regional airports and around 6% of travellers.”
“The reality is that for most passengers, the rules still haven’t changed at all and they won’t change tonight. It’s just a matter of checking with the airport to see what the rules and procedures are at your particular airport.”
“We have reintroduced this rule whilst our airport scanning equipment is updated and modified to ensure we continue to provide world-class aviation security. This is a temporary measure and we will let you know when it can be withdrawn at the appropriate time.”
The 100ml limit was introduced in 2006 after a failed terror plot to blow up a plane flying from London to the US with a homemade liquid bomb.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “This temporary measure is to allow for further improvements to the new checkpoint system and will affect a small number of passengers. Security measures for the vast majority of passengers will remain unchanged.”
“Passengers should continue to check the security requirements of their departure airport before traveling.”
