Liquids ban at airport security could be lifted as new scanners introduced

PA

The days of having your expensive toiletries and water bottles confiscated at British and European airports for containing over 100ml could soon be over as ministers have approved a new generation of scanners, which would lift the ban on fluids.

The devices were approved by the Department for Transport and should be installed at every airport in Britain and Europe within a year.

Although passengers will be able to carry bottles that contain more than 100ml of fluid, they will still need to be removed from cabin luggage at airport security for inspection.

A Department for Transport spokesman told the Telegraph it had already approved the devices and was working with the EU to meet a 29 April 2013 deadline for lifting the restrictions.

'However, we are equally aware of the need to ensure the passenger experience is as smooth as possible when passing through these important checks,' the spokesman said.

'That is why we have an active programme of research and development to explore new technologies and see how they can best be deployed while still maintaining the same high levels of security.'

The new scanners have already been tested at a number of airports and are capable of scanning bottles for explosives in less than 10 seconds, with the tests showing a high level of accuracy.

Another device uses X-ray technology to scan a bottle's contents and can identify a dangerous liquid within seconds from its chemical mixture.

A ban on carrying any liquids onto aircrafts was introduced in 2006 after a terrrorist plot using the liquid components of a bomb was thwarted. It was later relaxed so that passengers could carry liquids that contained no more than 100ml.

The rules have caused a huge inconvenience for passengers and a survey estimated that the value of liquids confiscated from UK airports was a whopping £10 million per day.

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