Heathrow Airport Rolls Back Liquid Limits

London Heathrow Airport is a busy place. Literally: according to the aviation data company OAG, it was the busiest airport in all of Europe last year. And if you’re a frequent traveler who uses Heathrow regularly, there’s some good news if you’re looking to bring liquids onto your flight via a carry-on bag. An upgrade to the airport’s security technology means that a previous policy limiting these liquids to 100 mL (or just over three ounces) is no longer in effect.

Instead, there’s a new (and much larger) limit for liquids: two liters. As the BBC’s Katy Austin reports, Heathrow now has new scanners located throughout the airport that allow for more detailed scans of carry-on bags — and which should, in theory, make for a smoother experience as travelers make their way through security checkpoints.

Liquids are not the only aspect of the security experience to be affected by the new scanners. The BBC also reports that travelers will no longer need to remove laptops from bags due to the machines’ capabilities. With this new technology in place, Heathrow joins several other airports in the U.K., including Birmingham, Edinburgh and Gatwick, in having more powerful CT scanners in place.

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In announcing the changes, Heathrow’s CEO Thomas Woldbye also pointed out the environmental benefits of the upgrade. “Every Heathrow passenger can now leave their liquids and laptops in their bags at security as we become the largest airport in the world to roll out the latest security scanning technology. That means less time preparing for security and more time enjoying their journey — and millions fewer single-use plastic bags,” Woldbye said.

Airports elsewhere in the world, including the United States, are also rolling out upgraded CT scanners. This raises a big question as to whether or not air travelers in the U.S. experience a similar change to the TSA’s liquid policy before too long.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…