Confused about the 100ml rule? As plane passengers face HUGE security queues at Birmingham, we reveal what liquid rules are in place and where – and which airports have installed the new scanners

Many UK air passengers are struggling to make sense of the rules around taking liquids in hand luggage through airport security as new scanners are rolled out.

Long queues have been forming at Birmingham Airport – which has launched the new scanners – amid confusion over liquid restrictions.

And on Sunday, the Department for Transport temporarily re-introduced 100ml restrictions on liquids being carried in cabin bags at six other regional UK airports with next-generation scanners. 

Confused? We’re not surprised. Here we explain all… 

Presently – all UK airports are operating the 100ml liquid rule, regardless of the scanners in place. 

But airports with new scanners have more flexibility around how cabin bags move through security. 

Long queues have been forming at Birmingham Airport (above) – which has launched the new scanners – amid confusion over liquid restrictions 

London City, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Leeds/Bradford, Southend and Teesside airports, have all installed new 3D CT- (computed tomography) based scanners in security halls and had scrapped the 100ml rule. Thanks to their new technology, passengers could bring up to two litres of liquids in any bottle size in carry-on luggage and not remove them at security.

However, on June 9, these airports were ordered to return to the 100ml liquid rule despite running the next-generation security checkpoints (NGSC), which create a 3D image of what is inside passengers’ bags, allowing them to better identify objects.

Laptops and tablets, however, can remain in carry-on luggage. 

A Department for Transport spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘From Sunday 9 June, 2024, 100ml restrictions on liquids will temporarily be reintroduced for passengers travelling from six regional airports where Next Generation Security Checkpoints (NGSC) are in full operation.

‘This temporary move is to enable further improvements to be made to the new checkpoint systems and will only affect a small number of passengers. 

‘For most passengers, security measures will remain unchanged.

‘Passengers should continue to check security requirements with their departure airport before travelling.’

Travel expert Nicky Kelvin tested out London City Airport’s ‘fancy’ new scanners in May

A passenger is pictured walking past an explainer about baggage rules at London City airport, which has installed new scanners

Passengers who pack liquids in bottles of over 100ml will be subject to manual checks at the airport and those items will be at risk of being discarded. 

At airports with new scanners, whether travellers are required to pack their liquids in clear, plastic bags, remove them from luggage or can pack more than one litre of liquid in multiple containers is up to the individual airport, the Department for Transport confirmed to MailOnline Travel. 

What if you are travelling from a different airport than the six targeted by the Department for Transport?

A number of the UK’s major airports have already installed some of the new checkpoints in security halls – however none have yet changed their liquid rules. 

London Stansted, Manchester and Edinburgh all have at least some of the new 3D-scanners in place. However, as their new security halls are incomplete and some old scanners still remain none have changed their liquid rules. 

This means you should still follow the 100ml rule, and other liquid restrictions, that have been in place for the past 18 years at all three airports. 

London Gatwick, East Midlands Airport and London Heathrow have not yet introduced any new scanners and so their security halls are unable to comply with new restrictions and the 100ml rule remains in place for the foreseeable future. 

So what happened at Birmingham Airport?

The airport had installed the new scanners, but has been limiting liquids to 100ml ‘due to an outstanding regulatory restriction’, Nick Barton, CEO, told the BBC.

The airport blames passengers for the long queues, accusing them of incorrectly packing their bags.

The problem was exacerbated, a source told The Independent, by the new scanners misidentifying innocent items, such as sun cream, as ‘threats’.

Why was the 100ml rule introduced?

The 100ml rule was introduced in 2006 following a foiled terror plot to blow up planes flying from London to the US with home-made liquid bombs. 

The restrictions required passengers to pack up to one litre of liquids or less in bottles of no more than 100ml.

Liquids, it was stipulated, had to be sealed in a clear, plastic bag and removed from bags before being scanned at security. 

Thanks to Nicky Kelvin at The Points Guy for permission to run his scanner image.