By Alimat Aliyeva
The European Commission has announced a relaxation of rules regarding the transportation of liquids in hand luggage, allowing passengers to carry up to two liters of liquids onboard aircraft, Azernews reports.
However, these new rules will only apply at airports that have installed special scanners approved by the EU.
Anna-Kaisa Itkonen, a representative of the European Commission, emphasized that the transition to these new rules will occur in phases, with responsibility for informing passengers falling on individual airports.
This shift in policy could create confusion for travelers, especially if there are differing rules for departing and returning flights. For instance, Milan’s Malpensa Airport already permits the transport of two liters of liquids in Terminal 1, but Terminal 2 still adheres to the older restrictions.
At present, only one scanner type has been approved—manufactured by Smiths Detection, a British company. The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) is currently testing scanners from other manufacturers. Once certification is complete, the EU plans to expand the list of approved systems.
This change comes as part of a broader push to modernize airport security while balancing convenience for travelers. The implementation of these scanners, which use advanced technology like 3D imaging, aims to increase both security and efficiency. Over time, this could lead to further simplification of security procedures across European airports, potentially eliminating the need for passengers to remove laptops or liquids from their bags. However, the pace of this transition could vary widely across different airports, leading to inconsistent experiences for passengers.
