Heathrow Airport in London has announced a dramatic change in its security screening procedures. Passengers will no longer be required to remove liquids or electronic devices from their carry-on bags, and the 100 ml limit that has been in force since 2006 has been completely abolished.
The move applies to all terminals at the airport and makes Heathrow the largest airport in the world to fully implement advanced CT security scanners.
What has actually changed?
As part of an upgrade costing around one billion pounds, all passenger security screening lanes across Heathrow’s four terminals have been replaced. The new scanners enable three-dimensional scanning of luggage, similar to medical CT scans, eliminating the need to remove items from bags.
Passengers can now pass through security screening without taking liquids, laptops, or tablets out of their bags. In addition, the 100 ml limit has been removed, and liquids in bottles of up to two liters may be carried in hand luggage.
At Heathrow, it is estimated that the move will save around 16 million single-use plastic bags each year.
Is it still necessary to remove items of clothing?
Yes. Passengers may still be asked to remove coats or belts with metal buckles before passing through the metal detector, but the main preparation process for screening has been significantly shortened.
Thomas Woldbye, the airport’s CEO, said that all Heathrow passengers can now keep liquids and laptops in their bags during screening. According to him, “The new technology shortens preparation time for security screening, improves the passenger experience, and reduces the use of single-use plastic. The major investment is intended to ensure that passengers continue to enjoy an excellent experience at Heathrow in the future.”
Heathrow is not the first airport in the UK to implement the new technology. Additional airports have already eliminated the need to remove liquids and electronics from bags, including Birmingham, Edinburgh, London City, Luton, Newcastle, Bristol, Leeds Bradford, Southend, and Teesside.
London’s Gatwick Airport has also upgraded 19 of its screening lanes in recent months and reported that more than 95 percent of passengers now pass through security in under five minutes.
Alongside Heathrow, Birmingham and Edinburgh airports have also confirmed that passengers are permitted to carry up to two liters of liquids in their hand luggage.