The government has set June 2024 as the date for major UK airports to install new security systems, which will render obsolete the rule requiring passengers to bring no more than 100ml of liquid in a container and remove large electronic devices from carry-on luggage.
Changes will be made to the regulations governing the volume of liquids permitted on airplanes and the removal of devices from carry-on luggage at airport security.
The government has set a deadline of June 2024 for major UK airports to install new security technology, which will render obsolete the law requiring passengers to remove big electronics, such as laptops and tablets, before passing through scanners.
A representative for the Department of Transport stated that new regulations implementing the removal of portions of EU law governing the implementation of new technologies and procedures will permit the installation of new technologies.
The department stated that the deadline will apply to major airports such as Gatwick, Heathrow, Manchester, and Birmingham.
Until then, the current rules will stay in effect.
Since a terrorist threat in 2006, the volume of liquids is limited to 100ml and must be presented in a transparent plastic bag. The rule is intended to prevent liquid bombs from being transported on airplanes.
This will no longer be necessary, and travelers will be permitted to bring up to two liters of beverage through security.
The majority of big airports will implement the system within the next year, according to Transport Secretary Mark Harper.
“By 2024, the latest security technology will be placed in the United Kingdom’s major airports, cutting wait times, enhancing the passenger experience, and most importantly detecting possible threats,” he added.
The government encouraged clients to check the return regulations for carrying liquids at any airport where they may fly or transfer via.
It states that “many destinations may not have implemented this new technique.”
In several airports, new 3D security scanners had been tested.
The government stated that these tests confirmed the efficacy of the screening apparatus.
The new scanners use CT X-ray equipment to provide a three-dimensional image of the contents of travelers’ bags and employ “very advanced threat identification algorithms,” according to the report.
They are already utilized at airports like Schiphol in Amsterdam.
The Airport Operators Association (AOA) responded to the announcement by stating, “This investment in next-generation security by the UK’s airport operators will be a great step forward for UK air travel, matching the best in class.
“It will make the journey through the UK’s airports easier and air travel itself more pleasurable,” said AOA’s policy director, Christopher Snelling.
Passenger numbers have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels at airports such as Heathrow, which have been impacted financially by COVID-19-related lockdowns.
