Overview
- A large group of UK airports continue to enforce the long-standing 100ml limit for liquids in hand luggage, including Manchester, Newcastle, Leeds Bradford, Liverpool, Aberdeen and several regional hubs.
- A smaller set of major airports has moved to a two-litre allowance for permitted liquids, with Heathrow, Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol and the two Belfast airports among those named.
- New computed tomography (CT) security scanners let passengers keep permitted liquids and large electronics inside hand luggage for screening, but government guidance still records that most airports bar containers over 100ml.
- Airports that allow larger containers often add conditions such as emptying metal or insulated bottles before screening and treating medicines and baby food as separate authorised items.
- Passengers are advised to check the official airport and GOV.UK pages for both outbound and return journeys because differing local rules and foreign airports’ limits can lead to items being seized or needing to go in hold luggage.