BRITONS traveling from a major airport this summer won’t have to worry about strict liquids rules after an £11m investment in new technology.
Airports in the United Kingdom are preparing to introduce new baggage scanners that will make it much easier for passengers, who will no longer have to take liquids and laptops out of their bags.
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New scanners being introduced at every UK airportCredit: Alamy
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Bristol Airport is set to be the last place to see the new scanners introduced
What’s more, they will no longer be limited to 100ml of liquid, with strict rules set to be lifted with the introduction of new equipment.
Bristol Airport has announced it will be the next major hub in the country to ditch the rules, with the new scanners due to be up and running by June 14.
This means that anyone leaving the airport this summer will be able to go more smoothly than before, without having to worry about strict liquid restrictions.
The airport spent £11.5 million on the new devices, which were due to be installed at all UK airports this summer.
Graeme Gamble, Chief Operating Officer at Bristol Airport, told Bristol Live: “We are delighted that all customers traveling from Bristol Airport will benefit from the state-of-the-art technology being introduced to security.
“The new equipment will reduce the stress and inconvenience of customers because there will no longer be a need for a 100 ml liquid that is placed in transparent plastic bags and taken out of hand luggage.
“The new process provides a much easier security operation for customers using the latest technology and provides improved visibility, allowing customers to keep personal items in their hand luggage.”
Bristol follows Birmingham on the list of major UK airports to have installed scanners, with the Midlands hub installing its own earlier this week.
London Luton hope to have them in place by the end of June as well.
However, not every UK airport will meet the deadline originally set by the Department for Transport (DfT), with some of the country’s biggest lagging behind.
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London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester have been given an extension until the summer of 2025 to make sure they have fully installed the new scanners.
Work has begun to add the technology, but the airports have not yet been able to complete the full transfer.
Gatwick expects to fully transition to the new scanners by the first three months of 2025, which is believed to be a similar timeframe to Stansted and Manchester.
Structural problems and maintaining safety operations while installing the new machines were the source of most of the delays.
New liquid rules explained
The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot explained how the new scanners will change the way Britons travel through UK airports.
She said: “The new generation of CT scanners will be a huge boost for passengers flying out of UK airports.
Laptops and other electronic devices can remain in your luggage and there is no need to adhere to the current 100ml liquid limit that has been in place for the last 18 years.
“You will be able to take up to two liters of liquid without having to take them out of your hand luggage.
“But the scanners are a huge logistical nightmare for airports that have to install new machines while still processing large numbers of passengers through the old ones.
“However, it is worth bearing in mind that not all airports around the world have the equipment.
“You may be able to fly away with more than 100ml of liquid – but if the airport you’re flying home from doesn’t have them yet, you could find yourself arriving with liquid.
“As we move through the next few years, you’ll need to make sure you’re familiar with the arrangements at any airport you fly through.”
The same goes for airports overseas, with several locations outside the UK being updated.
This means travelers traveling this summer shouldn’t get too excited about the lack of restrictions, with strict rules still in place in other destinations.
Travel association ABTA warned anyone going abroad at the time to stick to the current 100ml rules, saying many overseas airports also did not have the new scanners.
His message is simply to carry on “as if nothing has changed” for now, until more airports deploy the technology.
ABTA’s director of public affairs, Luke Petherbridge, said: “The new airport scanners will speed things up and strengthen security once they are fully implemented.
“While we have this period where airports are still working to implement changes, it’s best to travel as if nothing has changed.”
Other UK airports which have scanners in place include London City Airport, Teesside Airport and Aberdeen International Airport.
Meanwhile, these two items usually cause problems for passengers at airport security.
And this airport security guard discovered the mistakes that are holding people back on their way to the departure gate.
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Passengers will no longer have to adhere to strict liquid rules Credit: Getty
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