London Metropolis Airport scraps 100 milliliter liquid rule

LONDON — London Metropolis Airport has, on Tuesday, change into the primary main U.Ok. airport to drop its 100 milliliter liquid rule, which means passengers departing from the airport could now carry liquids of as much as 2 liters of their hand baggage.

Passengers may also now not should take away objects corresponding to laptops, electronics, make-up and different objects from their baggage for safety screening on the airport. Officers hope it will enhance the passenger expertise and streamline safety procedures which is able to, in flip, permit the airport to course of an estimated 30% extra passengers per hour.

The scrapping of the 100 ml rule — which has been in place since 2006 — comes following the alternative of older safety scanners with new technology high-tech C3 scanners that may allow safety to totally display screen vacationers’ luggage from all angles.

“The excellent news for anybody planning a vacation or a enterprise journey is that we would be the first mainstream U.Ok. airport to supply a totally CT safety expertise,” mentioned Robert Sinclair, London Metropolis Airport Chief. “The brand new lanes won’t solely lower problem, but in addition lower queuing occasions which I do know passengers will love.”

Over the following two years, main U.Ok. airports are to step by step observe go well with following an overhaul of screening tools with a U.Ok. authorities deadline of June 2024.

“By 2024, main airports throughout the U.Ok. could have the most recent safety tech put in, decreasing queuing occasions, enhancing the passenger expertise, and most significantly detecting potential threats,” mentioned Transport Secretary Mark Harper.

London Metropolis Airport turns into solely the second airport within the nation to implement upgraded safety screening procedures following Teesside Airport in northern England in March 2023.

The 100 ml liquid rule was first carried out within the U.Ok. in 2006 following a foiled transatlantic terror plot. The liquid bomb plot — which was uncovered by Britain’s Metropolitan Police — deliberate to detonate liquid explosives aboard airways headed to america and Canada.

London Metropolis Airport noticed 300,000 passengers within the month of March, with hottest locations being Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Zurich.

The transfer begins the ushering in of a brand new period of journey as trials of the brand new scanners are underway on the U.Ok.’s largest airports, together with Terminal 3 in Heathrow, Gatwick Airport and Birmingham Airport.

“This funding in next-generation safety by the U.Ok.’s airport operators will present an important step ahead for U.Ok. air journey, matching the most effective at school all over the world,” says Christopher Snelling, Coverage Director at The Airport Operators Affiliation (AOA). “It can make the journey by way of the U.Ok.’s airports simpler and air journey itself extra nice.”