Heathrow Airport, the UK's largest, has finally ditched the 100ml liquid container limit for passengers, allowing up to two litres of liquids in carry-on bags. This comes after years of delays and a series of setbacks in the rollout of new high-tech CT scanners. The airport claims these scanners can process thousands of passengers per hour with improved efficiency and safety. However, Heathrow is not the first UK airport to implement this change. Gatwick, Edinburgh, and Birmingham airports have already upgraded to these scanners and increased the limit to two litres. The UK government initially promised to scrap the 100ml rule by the end of 2022, but the pandemic delayed these plans. In 2022, they set a new deadline of June 2024, but this was not met by the major airports. A controversial U-turn occurred in June 2024, when the government demanded that smaller airports reinstate the 100ml rule, causing anger among airport operators. The EU also reversed its decision to the 100ml rule in July 2024. This inconsistency has led to confusion among passengers, with the Transport Secretary advising them to assume the 100ml rule still applies. Heathrow's CEO, Thomas Woldbye, believes the £1 billion upgrade will benefit passengers by reducing security preparation time. It's important to note that the rule change only applies to flights departing from Heathrow, and passengers should check individual airport restrictions for return flights to the UK.
